Player: CB Cory Trice Jr.
Stock Value: Down
Reasoning: Cory Trice Jr. injured his hamstring last Sunday in the Steelers’ win over the Los Angeles Chargers, just a week after his first interception. On Tuesday, the Steelers placed him on the Reserve/Injured List, suggesting the injury is reasonably serious. He has to miss at least the next four games, which is a blow to the Steelers’ depth. And it is a personal blow to him as well given how far he has come.
In one sense, Cory Trice Jr. is in the exact same spot he was a year ago: on the Reserve/Injured List. But things are very different this time around for numerous reasons. For one thing, he isn’t on the season-ending Reserve List and can return in as few as four games. For another, he has now tasted NFL play and NFL success.
That was merely an aspiration a year ago as a rookie seventh-round pick. Trice tore his ACL on the fourth day of training camp, and he spent this offseason rehabbing. He got himself ready to open camp this year and did well enough to earn the primary backup role.
Due to minor nicks and scrapes, mostly suffered by Donte Jackson, Trice did get to play some, and he came up with a huge red-zone interception in Week 1 against the Denver Broncos. In that game, he also saw a handful of snaps as the dime defender, even with all bodies healthy.
Cory Trice only played one defensive snap and two snaps on special teams on Sunday before suffering a hamstring injury. Now he will be sidelined for at least the next four weeks, but he can return immediately after.
The Steelers signed old friend James Pierre last week, initially to play on special teams. Now he may have to serve as the top backup on the outside, as well, if they can get him up to speed in a hurry. He previously held that role although with rather mixed results. But unlike last year, it feels like Trice is merely waiting for his next opportunity.
A year ago, it was more than reasonable to wonder if Trice’s career was already over. A rookie seventh-round pick tearing his ACL early in training camp probably doesn’t have a great record of subsequent success. He has already defied the odds by reaching this point, and a hamstring injury isn’t going to stop him, either.
As the season progresses, Steelers players’ stocks rise and fall. The nature of the evaluation differs with the time of year, with in-season considerations being more often short-term. Considerations in the offseason often have broader implications, particularly when players lose their jobs, or the team signs someone. This time of year is full of transactions, whether minor or major.
A bad game, a new contract, an injury, a promotion—any number of things affect a player’s value. Think of it as a stock on the market, based on speculation. You’ll feel better about a player after a good game, or worse after a bad one. Some stock updates are minor, while others are likely to be quite drastic, so bear in mind the degree. I’ll do my best to explain the nature of that in the reasoning section of each column.
