Steelers trade for a corner

[RuthlessBurgher]

By Curtis Crabtree
August 23, 2017, 10:13 PM EDT
Washington trades Dashaun Phillips to Steelers for Lucas Crowley

The Washington Redskins dealt cornerback Dashaun Phillips to the Pittsburgh Steelers in exchange for center Lucas Crowley on Wednesday night.

The acquisition of Crowley gives Washington some added depth at center after starter Spencer Long had knee surgery this week.

Crowley was undrafted free agent out of North Carolina initially signed by Arizona in May. He signed with the Steelers earlier this month and played 10 snaps in last week’s game against the Atlanta Falcons.

Phillips appeared in 11 games over the last two seasons for Washington and started two games last year. He’s recorded 14 career tackles.

[fordfixer]

Steelers trade center for CB Dashaun Phillips

The Steelers completed what was a busy day of transactions when they traded for Washington Redskins cornerback Dashaun Phillips in exchange for center Lucas Crowley.

Phillips played in five games for the Redskins in 2016, starting two, in the nickel role. He had seven tackles and a fumble recovery. He has played in 11 games, with 14 tackles, nine of them solo stops, in two seasons.


Phillips originally was signed by the Dallas Cowboys as an undrafted rookie free agent in 2014. He was waived by the Cowboys before the start of the season, and later signed to the New York Jets practice squad in October, 2014.

He was signed to the Redskins practice squad in 2015, and then placed on the active roster later in the season.

Phillips played college ball at Tarleton State, a Division II school in Texas. He finished his career with 175 career tackles, 12 interceptions and three forced fumbles.

Earlier in the day the Steelers signed cornerback Antonio Crawford, and released running back Brandon Brown-Dukes. The Steelers also signed rookie wide receiver Justin Thomas. In a corresponding move the Steelers waived/injured third-year cornerback Greg Ducre.

[RuthlessBurgher]

His pre-draft scouting report:

DASHAUN PHILLIPS
TARLETON ST.
LONE STAR

GRADE
5.07

5'11"
HEIGHT

29 3/4"
ARM LENGTH

182LBS.
WEIGHT

9"
HANDS

ANALYSIS

STRENGTHS Quick-footed and explosive changing direction. Smooth hips, feet and transition. Shadows his man and allows little separation in man coverage. Willing in run support. Plays with emotion and has a chip on his shoulder. Confident and competitive. Good hands and body control (12 career interceptions). Recorded a 39-inch vertical jump, a 6.65-second three-cone time and 3.97-second 20-yard shuttle at his pro day, indicating exceptional lateral agility and lower-body explosion. Tough and will play through injuries as he did playing through a left foot injury as a junior. Four-year starter. Solid football character.

WEAKNESSES Is thinly built and struggles to shed blockers to support the run. Can be late to see plays developing and get out of position sorting out routes and trying to do too much in zone coverage. Diminished ball production (only two interceptions the last two years). Regularly matched up against inferior Division II competition.

DRAFT PROJECTION Round 7-Priority free agent

BOTTOM LINE Raw, lean man cover corner with the quickness and explosive burst to warrant a look as a No. 4 or No. 5 cornerback. Was regularly assigned to the opponent's top receiver and did not have as many opportunities the last two seasons, when his interception production diminished.

[SanAntonioSteelerFan]

His pre-draft scouting report:

DASHAUN PHILLIPS
TARLETON ST.
LONE STAR

GRADE
5.07

5'11"
HEIGHT

29 3/4"
ARM LENGTH

182LBS.
WEIGHT

9"
HANDS

ANALYSIS

STRENGTHS Quick-footed and explosive changing direction. Smooth hips, feet and transition. Shadows his man and allows little separation in man coverage. Willing in run support. Plays with emotion and has a chip on his shoulder. Confident and competitive. Good hands and body control (12 career interceptions). Recorded a 39-inch vertical jump, a 6.65-second three-cone time and 3.97-second 20-yard shuttle at his pro day, indicating exceptional lateral agility and lower-body explosion. Tough and will play through injuries as he did playing through a left foot injury as a junior. Four-year starter. Solid football character.

WEAKNESSES Is thinly built and struggles to shed blockers to support the run. Can be late to see plays developing and get out of position sorting out routes and trying to do too much in zone coverage. Diminished ball production (only two interceptions the last two years). Regularly matched up against inferior Division II competition.

DRAFT PROJECTION Round 7-Priority free agent

BOTTOM LINE Raw, lean man cover corner with the quickness and explosive burst to warrant a look as a No. 4 or No. 5 cornerback. Was regularly assigned to the opponent's top receiver and did not have as many opportunities the last two seasons, when his interception production diminished.

Wow, he sounds pretty good.

Would he start based on this kind of description and history?

[RuthlessBurgher]

Wow, he sounds pretty good.

Would he start based on this kind of description and history?

Nah... primarily a special teamer. Two starts in two NFL seasons so far. Just more competition in the defensive backfield in exchange for an interior o-lineman who wasn't going to make our 53 man roster, so nothing lost.

[Ghost]

This dude is bottom shelf (the bottle the bartender has to reach down low to grab and then blows dust off it). Undrafted FA who was cut before camp finished. Then singed with another team to be be waived off the injured reserved list with an injury settlement. The Skins were the third team and he was carted off the filed in his last game for them. They cut him and resigned him to the PS multiple times before trading him.

[Oviedo]

Steelers trade for Cornerback

http://www.steelers.com/news/transactions/article-1/Steelers-trade-for-Phillips/fe3c763e-ef88-4efc-b701-b3397d524687


Dashaun Phillips from the Redskins

So we have drafted 2 DB last year, drafted 2 this year, signed a CB in free agency but somehow some believe we are ignoring the CB position

[Oviedo]

So we have drafted 2 DB last year, drafted 2 this year, signed a CB in free agency but somehow some believe we are ignoring the CB position

[Oviedo]

Sorry--didn't see Ruthless post. Hope someone can merge

[Sword]

So we have drafted 2 DB last year, drafted 2 this year, signed a CB in free agency but somehow some believe we are ignoring the CB position

Where is the elite CB we need? you can grab all the average CB you want but, until we get Elite CB's we will get smoked and you will keep hearing it from frustrated fans.....

[Slapstick]

Was that elite CB there in round 2?

[williar]

LOL - As bad as the redskins secondary looks, you have to wonder

[RuthlessBurgher]

LOL - As bad as the redskins secondary looks, you have to wonder

I thought their day two corner pick, Fabian Moreau, was the guy who we should have taken instead of Juju Smith-Schuster?

Wouldn't that single pick have solved all of our secondary issues in one fell swoop?

[williar]

I thought their day two corner pick, Fabian Moreau, was the guy who we should have taken instead of Juju Smith-Schuster?
gWouldn't that single pick have solved all of our secondary issues in one fell swoop?

He just got on the field not too long ago, remember he had been injured (such a familiar theme) which contributed to him falling in the draft. Of course, they think the world of his potential here in DC.

[papillon]

Where is the elite CB we need? you can grab all the average CB you want but, until we get Elite CB's we will get smoked and you will keep hearing it from frustrated fans.....

Can't have elite players at every position, the Steelers haven't neglected the position but it seems that the players they select do not pan out. The Falcons and Pats last year's two super bowl teams do not have elite corners. Maybe Desmond Trufant can be considered elite, he was ranked in the top 10 last year, but Robert Alford, Logan Ryan and Malcolm Butler were in the middle of the pack or lower. To get Patrick Petersen type corner back you need to be drafting in the top 10 positions of the draft and the Steelers rarely draft that high. The Patriots won the Super Bowl with two average CBs. The Steelers need to find a way to do the same. They have a top 5 QB, a top 5 WR (arguably #1), a top 5 RB (arguably #1) and one of the top 5 Olines in the NFL. You have to be able to win a Super Bowl with that talent, IMO.

The defense isn't exactly chopped liver with Heyward, Shazier and Tuitt all gaining notoriety around the league, Bud Dupree did well as a rook. The Steelers are going to have to win a Super Bowl with average corners, unless, they start unloading some offensive star power. Ben and the offense need to carry the team, the defense certainly lags behind them, but they aren't in the bottom half of the league either. The corners the Steelers have need to become at least average or above average but they shouldn't have to be elite based on the offensive talent.

Pappy