The Pittsburgh Steelers did what was necessary yesterday in making official the release of J.J. Wilcox, the veteran safety for whom they traded late last offseason. The team offered their 2018 seventh-round draft pick, but also received a 2019 seventh-round pick in return along with the player.
Those who follow me know that I considered this move a virtual inevitability some time ago, at least after they signed Morgan Burnett and Nat Burhe. There was talk about them potentially viewing him as a contingency option to start after Mike Mitchell and Robert Golden were released—the door was reportedly even left open for Mitchell to return—but that always struck me as incredibly unlikely.