Player: CB Beanie Bishop Jr.
Stock Value: Down
Reasoning: Steelers rookie CB Beanie Bishop Jr. is in over his head, and that’s no short joke. After all, he is the same height as me, so I can’t say anything anyway. But I digress. After earning a starting job as a rookie college free agent, he could lose it soon. He simply doesn’t look ready for everything the Steelers are asking him to do as a full-time player. That was at its most obvious during the Steelers’ 20-17 loss to the Cowboys, Bishop on the wrong end of several key plays.
Pittsburgh Steelers CB Beanie Bishop Jr. seemingly made some kind of team history by claiming a starting job right out of the gate as a rookie college free agent. That’s a nice story and all, but the problem is he isn’t playing like a starter. He could quite arguably the Steelers’ worst starter right now, in all three phases.
Bishop very quickly earned a fan following from the moment he signed as a free agent. But now that the dream is reality, he needs to wake up. While he has had issues throughout the season, he particularly struggled on Sunday.
The Cowboys frequently went after Bishop in key moments, particularly on third downs, which Mike Tomlin admitted is expected. The problem is he didn’t step up to the plate. He made a play or two here and there, but his negative plays far outweighed the positive.
The Steelers still have three more games to get through before Cameron Sutton is eligible to return from suspension. Until then, they will have to hang on, whether they stick with Beanie Bishop or look for alternative approaches. They could elevate Thomas Graham Jr. for a couple more games in the meantime or use an extra safety.
If they choose to stick with Bishop, he is going to have to improve a lot and quickly. The simple reality is that he looks like he is in over his head. Did the Steelers ask him to bite off more than he can chew? If he just going through his baptism by fire? Not everyone makes it out the other side the better for that experience.
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.
