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The Pittsburgh Steelers have their share of question marks at offensive tackle, but they appear to have firmly moved on from Jerald Hawkins, who has had two separate stints with the team.
Now the New England Patriots are taking a look at the former fourth-round pick, this according to ESPN NFL Nation reporter Mike Reiss.
Hawkins Was Re-Signed by the Steelers in 2020
Hawkins arrived in Pittsburgh in 2016 out of LSU, but was never able to rise above a backup role, in part due to injuries. In his first go-round with the organization, he appeared in five games with just one start, and finished two of his first three seasons on injured reserve. In Aug. 2019, he was traded to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (along with a 2021 seventh-round pick) in exchange for a 2021 sixth-rounder, which the Steelers used to select outside linebacker Quincy Roche, a player who has been described as one of the potential “steals” of the draft.
But Hawkins was unable to establish himself in Tampa Bay, appearing in just one game for the Buccaneers in 2019. That enabled the Steelers to pluck him off the practice squad of the Houston Texans just days after Zach Banner suffered a torn ACL in the season-opener against the New York Giants. Hawkins went on to dress for 13 games, though he only played 76 offensive snaps all year, this according to Pro Football Reference.
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Broncos Release Ex-Steelers Center Patrick Morris
In other news from Tuesday, the Broncos waived center Patrick Morris, who appeared in three games with Denver between 2019-20.
Morris entered the NFL with the Steelers in 2018, signing as an undrafted free agent out of TCU. He went on to spend most of the 2018 and 2019 seasons on Pittsburgh’s practice squad, but he also spent time on the active roster. In fact, Denver acquired him in December 2019 by making a waiver claim for him.
Around the AFC North
In one especially notable bit of AFC North news from Wednesday, ESPN Senior NFL Insider Adam Schefter and ESPN Ravens reporter Jamison Hensley both report that Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson is “not practicing today in a COVID-related case the league still is trying to process.”
For his part, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network indicates that Jackson has tested positive for COVID-19, and he will be “out until he clears” [protocol].”
Meanwhile, over in Cincinnati, Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow met with the media on Wednesday and claimed to be “just about 100 percent.” Burrow is attempting to come back from a torn ACL and other structural damage to his left knee that he suffered during a game at Washington last November.
The second-year QB went on to say that he would like to appear in one of the team’s preseason games.
“We’ll have that discussion with [head coach] Zac [Taylor] and ownership,” Burrow said. “I’d like to go out there and feel the rush at least a couple times. Don’t have to play the full game, but I would like to get out there a little bit.”
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