Sep 2, 2017 5 min read

PITTSBURGH – Interdivision trades in the NFL are typically rare.

That’s why, when the Steelers sent a sixth-round draft pick in the 2018 draft to Cleveland last year for cornerback Justin Gilbert, it raised some eyebrows.

The two AFC North foes were at it again Saturday, this time with the Steelers sending wide receiver Sammie Coates and a seventh-round pick in the 2019 draft to Cleveland for the sixth-round selection in 2018 they had originally sent to the Browns for Gilbert.

The trade came just a few days after the Steelers signed cornerback Joe Haden, like Gilbert, a former Cleveland first-round draft pick, after he had been released by the Browns. Gilbert is no longer with the Steelers while Haden, a two-time Pro Bowl cornerback, is expected to be a starter.

The acquisition of Haden allowed the Steelers to trade Ross Cockrell, the incumbent starter at cornerback who had been in a preseason battle with Coty Sensabaugh to hold onto that spot, to the New York Giants for a conditional 2018 draft pick.

NFL teams had to trim their rosters to 53 players by 4 p.m. Saturday.

Both Coates and Cockrell were considered bubble players after what transpired with the Steelers in the past week.

First came the move Haden, shoring up the cornerback position. Then, wide receiver Martavis Bryant was reinstated Friday by the NFL after missing all of last season while suspended for violation of the league’s substance abuse policy.

Coates, a 2015 third-round draft pick, was battling veteran Justin Hunter to be one of six receivers the Steelers would keep on the roster. Pittsburgh entered training camp with eight receivers who had NFL starting experience and another, second-round draft pick, JuJu Smith-Shuster, whose spot on the roster was guaranteed.

Hunter, a former second-round draft pick of Tennessee, was one of six wide receivers kept by the Steelers on the 53-man roster. Antonio Brown, Martavis Bryant, Smith-Shuster, Eli Rogers and Darrius Heyward-Bey were the others.

Cobi Hamilton, who appeared in 11 games in 2016 and started opposite Brown in the AFC Championship, and DeMarcus Ayers were among those released Saturday. Ayers, along with Marcus Tucker, who also was released, could be signed to the practice squad after they clear waivers.

The Steelers drafted Coates with the knowledge that Bryant was going to be suspended for the start of the 2015 season. And when Bryant was again suspended for the entire 2016 season, Coates looked like a more-than-adequate replacement.

Coates had 19 receptions for 421 yards and two touchdowns in Pittsburgh’s first five games, including a career-best game against the New York Jets with six receptions for 139 yards and two touchdowns.

But Coates suffered a laceration and two broken fingers on his left hand in that game and caught only two more passes the rest of the season.

Despite the injury, Coates continued to be a key contributor on special teams, returning and covering kicks. He had seven special teams tackles.

Bryant, however, was reinstated and has regained the trust of the Steelers. He remains under contract for two more seasons and the Steelers felt Coates was the wide receiver that would bring the most in return in a trade.

Cockrell, a fourth-year player, joined the Steelers in 2015 after being released by the Buffalo Bills, who had selected him in the fourth round in 2014. He became an immediate contributor that season, appearing in 15 games, including seven starts. Last season, he started every game and led the Steelers with 14 passes defensed.

With the Steelers wanting to play more man-to-man pass coverage, which is not Cockrell’s strong suit, Pittsburgh selected cornerbacks Cam Sutton and Brian Allen in the third and fifth rounds of the draft and then signed Sensabaugh. Each remains on the roster, though now likely in backup roles to Haden and Artie Burns.

Among the other players released were veteran tight end David Johnson, who lost his spot on the roster when the Steelers made a trade with San Francisco last week to acquire Vance McDonald.

Also released were cornerback Senquez Golson, long-snapper Colin Holba and veteran running backs Knile Davis and Fitzgerald Toussaint.

Golson, a second-round draft pick in 2015, was injured during training camp in each of his three seasons while Holba, a sixth-round pick this year, was beaten out by first-year long-snapper Kameron Canaday.

Toussaint, a four-year veteran, became a surprise starter in the playoffs in 2015 when both Le’Veon Bell and DeAngelo Williams were injured, helping the Steelers beat Cincinnati. But he had a costly fumble in a playoff loss at Denver the next week.

Davis was signed in the offseason to be the Steelers’ kick returner and compete with Toussaint for a spot behind Bell and third-round draft pick James Conner. Both were outplayed in the preseason by first-year running back Terrell Watson, who led the Steelers with 173 yards on 37 carries.

Pittsburgh has 54 players on its roster. It gets an exemption for Bell until Monday, when he signs his franchise tender. … Also released by the Steelers were center Ruben Carter, offensive lineman Ethan Cooper, cornerback Brandon Dixon, center Kyle Friend, linebacker Matt Galambos, linebacker Austin Gearing, safety Malik Golden (waived/injured), safety Jacob Hagen, defensive end Lavon Hooks, quarterback Bart Houston, linebacker Farrington Huguenin, linebacker Steven Johnson, defensive end Francis Kallon, linebacker Keith Kelsey, defensive end Johnny Maxey, tight end Jake McGee, offensive tackle Brian Mihalik, offensive lineman Keavon Milton, cornerback Dashaun Phillips, defensive tackle Roy Philon, offensive tackle Jake Rodgers, cornerback JaCorey Shepherd, wide receiver Justin Thomas, safety Terrish Webb and running back Trey Williams. … The Steelers must wait until the waiver period ends Sunday to begin adding players to the practice squad. … The Steelers return to practice Monday.