https://triblive.com/sports/steelers-2-a-days-isaiah-buggs-an-infusion-of-youth-for-d-line-pivotal-camp-for-artie-burns/
Steelers 2-a-days: Isaiah Buggs adds youth to D-line; pivotal camp for Artie Burns
Editor’s note: From now until the first practice of training camp at Saint Vincent College, the Trib will be running through the Pittsburgh Steelers’ 90-man roster, assessing each player’s outlook for the 2019 season. The breakdown will go through the roster in mostly-alphabetical order, (at least) two per day, between June 14 and July 26.
DT ISAIAH BUGGS
Experience: Rookie
Contract status: $537,158 cap hit in 2019, the start of a four-year rookie contract
2019 outlook: The Steelers have had remarkable stability at defensive line in recent years — which is great — but that only reinforces that they could use an injection of youth. Also, with L.T. Walton’s departure there is an open spot on the 53-man roster. Buggs was a playmaker among a cadre of future NFL players on the Alabama defense, and his original position coach with the Crimson Tide is Steelers defensive line coach Karl Dunbar. He looks like a good fit as an immediate rotational defensive lineman who perhaps would grow into a bigger role — but then again, people were saying that about the late-round d-lineman the Steelers took from Alabama last year, too, so nothing is assured.
Isaiah Buggs had 9½ sacks last season, fourth-most in the #SEC and ahead of the four Crimson Tide defenders taken ahead of him#Steelers https://t.co/XK6cEiVfUm— Tribune-ReviewSports (@TribSports) May 1, 2019
CB ARTIE BURNS
Experience: 4th season
Contract status: $3.051 million cap hit in 2019, the final year of his contract
2019 outlook: There might not be a player with more at stake at training camp than Burns, whose career is at an obvious crossroads. It’s at least conceivable he’s played his final down on defense in the NFL — but it’s also not at all out of the realm of possibility he could regain the form that made him a first-round pick with Pro Bowl potential. Burns took first-team reps during organized team activities, so he hasn’t fallen totally out of favor. Could he seize a prominent role again? Or might he even get cut before the season starts? Anything is possible at this point.
#Steelers Artie Burns has been attending coaches meetings throughout voluntary organized team activities and mandatory minicamp to prove to that he is willing to be accountable https://t.co/MaQ2kKqTiR— Tribune-ReviewSports (@TribSports) June 16, 2019
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