Tuesday's NFL: Steelers land defensive back Minkah Fitzpatrick in trade
Pittsburgh — The Pittsburgh Steelers have no plans to bail on the season with Ben Roethlisberger out until 2020 with an elbow injury.
“Our level of expectations in terms of our performance will not change,” coach Mike Tomlin said Tuesday.
A day removed from announcing Roethlisberger’s aching right elbow will require surgery that will sideline him for the rest of the year, the Steelers (0-2) began the process of moving on by upgrading their uneven defense and bringing in some depth behind new starting quarterback Mason Rudolph.
Pittsburgh sent three draft picks — a first-rounder and a fifth-rounder in 2020 and a sixth-rounder in 2021 — to Miami for defensive back Minkah Fitzpatrick and a 2020 fourth-round pick. The Steelers also signed former Denver backup Paxton Lynch to the practice squad behind Rudolph and second-stringer Delvin Hodges.
Fitzpatrick, the 11th overall selection in the 2018 draft, had grown frustrated with his role for the rebuilding Dolphins. Miami began shopping him after a Week 1 loss to Baltimore and found a willing partner in the Steelers, who will be without starting safety Sean Davis for at least the next two months after Davis sustained a shoulder injury against Seattle last Sunday.
The team placed Davis on injured reserve, though Tomlin said there’s a chance Davis could return later in the season.
Tomlin admitted the coaching staff became enamored with Fitzpatrick in the lead-up to the 2018 draft, but knew any chance at getting Fitzpatrick was a “pipe dream” with the Steelers drafting 28th. Miami took Fitzpatrick 17 spots higher, with Pittsburgh taking safety Terrell Edmunds later in the opening round. Now Edmunds and Fitzpatrick will line up alongside each other on Sunday in San Francisco.
Though Fitzpatrick played a variety of positions in Miami, including cornerback, slot cornerback and linebacker in some substitution packages, he will begin his tenure in Pittsburgh at safety.
Personnel dept.
Without saying why or providing much insight, Jaguars cornerback Jalen Ramsey confirmed Tuesday that he wants out of Jacksonville and said he doesn’t want to be a distraction as Jacksonville prepares to host Tennessee (1-1) on Thursday night.
He said his angst has nothing to do with the franchise declining to offer him a contract extension before this season, but hinted that the coaching staff has failed to use him properly.
... Panthers quarterback Cam Newton’s status for Sunday’s game at Arizona is uncertain after the 2015 league MVP reaggravated a mid-foot sprain.
... Jets quarterback Trevor Siemian is out for the rest of the season with an ankle injury, and Luke Falk will be New York’s starter until Sam Darnold returns from illness.
... The Texans released punter Trevor Daniel after he ranked 25th in the NFL in yards per punt through two games and signed free agent Bryan Anger.