Steelers Inventory Watch – CB Cory Trice Jr.

Player: CB Cory Trice Jr.

Stock Value: Down

Reasoning: CB Cory Trice Jr. is now an extra step away from the field with the Steelers having acquired veteran Jalen Ramsey. While Ramsey is likely to spend most of his time in the slot, he will also be the first man outside in reserve should an injury necessitate it. The Steelers have options to cover the slot, which is, as of now, something Trice doesn’t do.

Cory Trice Jr. has not had the luckiest career, his body consistently betraying him through his first two NFL seasons. As a rookie, he tore his ACL in training camp. Last season, he missed extended time due to a hamstring injury.

Last year, Trice earned the Steelers’ top reserve outside cornerback position. Although he may be their best outside cornerback who isn’t starting currently, that comes with a caveat. The Steelers now have Darius Slay, Joey Porter Jr., and Jalen Ramsey as their top trio.

Whoever plays in base is immaterial, as that will account for a relatively small percentage of snap. In nickel, however, Porter and Slay should be outside with Ramsey in the slot. But if either Porter or Slay can’t play, Ramsey would surely kick outside. Cory Trice has shown no flexibility to play in the slot, so that role would go to someone else, presumably.

I should add that is not set in stone, by any means. It is possible, in such a scenario, that the Steelers would determine Trice is their fourth-best cornerback. If they like him more than Beanie Bishop Jr., they could play Trice outside and leave Ramsey inside. Ramsey would, of course, play outside in any base snaps.

The best thing Cory Trice Jr. can do for himself this year is simply stay healthy. He can’t control who the Steelers bring in, or what they will ask him to do. All he can control is being ready when they call his number, and that’s what he’ll focus on moving forward.

With the new league year underway and the Steelers turning their roster over, it’s once again time to “take stock”. It took a while, but we finally saw some of that change the team talked about after the season ended. Certainly, the move to trade for WR DK Metcalf qualifies as a change, not to mention the accompanying contract. Oh, and they also traded some guy named George Pickens, which people found significant.

There is still a long way to go before we know what this Steelers team is going to look like. The dust is settled on both free agency and the 2025 NFL Draft. What other moves might the team make, perhaps unexpected acquisitions or departures? If they traded for one player, they could certainly trade for another, or trade one away. This is a Steelers team starving for postseason success, but how desperate are they for a playoff win in 2025?