the Pittsburgh Steelers have a player that's starting to move up this depth chart and I really like this player I'm talking about second-year cornerback Corey tce he was just given first team reps and he took advantage of the opportunity and this is happening when some guys are getting some time off of practice Dante Jackson got the day off and we're also looking at a player like Grayland Arnold who has promoted to first team getting reps at Pittsburgh Steelers training camp and this is back on Sunday Cory TR was also a regular with the starting defense all through practice and he's just getting more play and this is after the team is returning to St Vincent uh for practice on Sunday uh following their 2012 loss to the Houston Texans to open the preseason but this is getting some more legs beyond that and joy Porter Jr he spoke out and he said this guy is just looking for a chance to play looking for a chance to prove himself and although he's not going to be looking for a starting spot he's not going to beat out Porter he's not going to beat out Jackson this dude very well might be the next man up when all is said and done after being buried on the depth chart and we're going to go into the history on that just a little bit um we're also looking at Darius Raj Anthony a aett I'm terrible with pronouncing names this week I'm so sorry um they also took some first team reps at times across from Joey port Jr and I want to get to actually a story that everybody's talking about I try to avoid it but it just keeps coming up and that is about Brandon auk and this possible trade it's been in the media that he's only looking to go to Pittsburgh and nowhere else um here is the latest report and this is at four o'clock today when I'm filming so I'm just going to read directly from it this is from Ian Rapaport and he's usually pretty reliable NFL networks Ian Rapaport he reports the 49ers are nearing a trade with the Steelers in a wild turn of events iuk may be headed to Pittsburgh after all the 49ers and the Steelers have agreed to a deal and the latter is in a good place on a contract with auk Rapaport also says that the 49ers have made another offer to auk but he has yet to accept so if San Francisco signs off on this deal it looks like iuk will finally be a Pittsburgh Steeler stay tuned I don't want a rumormonger um but um but yeah it looks like from that report that this might actually get done and that is very very exciting I'm what's even more excit exciting is finding out what the compensation is but I'm just going to kind of let that lie I'm going to go back to the story on Steelers depot.com let's talk about Cory trce we're looking at a dude that stands at 6 foot three he was a seventh round pick last year missed all of his rookie season you guys know this he was becoming a fan favorite in Camp but he had a torn ACL spent part of last week taking reps as a dime hybrid on the first team defense and we're looking at this time on Sunday he was part of a pass he was part of a pass to George Pickins from Russell Wilson that was broken up on the second snap of the seven shots two-point conversion simulation he also got some nice tape filed in last week's preseason game as well and I kind of want to look at that he had a notable play in the opener against Houston he blew up a quick pass he got a tackle for a loss in his first NFL action of the year and there's just there's just a healthy battle going on at quarterback on this team and that's not beyond the two starters it's just really nice to see a healthy Corey Trace competing uh the Steelers get to finally see what kind of player he is and good luck to this guy for real he seems like a really good kid and the Steelers are hoping to get the most out of second-year quarterback Cory Trace Jr but for now let's temper expectations and like I said we are looking at a guy that's starting to rise up the depth chart he's getting more plan practice he's making plays in the preseason he very well might be the next man up and I think it's fantastic and you get a seventh round pick that shows out for your team I said your team because this is Sports Talk Steelers I'm your host Sean I have a successful Bears Channel Sports Talk Bears I'm a Bears fan through and through but you know what as a Sports Talk family we are expanding more and more into the NFL we just love covering it and I think you guys need a little more love I want to give you some really good impartial coverage and uh I want to be your source for Pittsburgh Steelers news and one of those so just keep that in mind I always want to be above board with that so the Pittsburgh Steelers they're hoping to get the most out of this guy and trce as you guys know seventh round pick yeah this is adding this guy to a class they also drafted Joey Porter Jr in that class in the second round and he was getting some Buzz making plays during mini camp and OTAs but that torn ACL it just derailed everything so now we have to temper it because the excitement's starting to come back but it's got to be limited I mean we're looking at a guy that suffered two torn ACLs and an anchor ankle fracture during his college and one-year NFL career so he's shown some injury prone there not guaranteeing anything but if he's healthy this is a guy that really has unlimited upside and I'd love to see him deliver on that upside he's getting every opportunity and I want to go to directly to according to um a direct quote from Pittsburgh Post gazettes Ray fed aalo the team is very high on Tri and I always want to give credit at source material so this is the hear straight from Ry I think they're intrigued by him but by no means are they counting on him and this was set on 93.7 The Fan when they drafted him they knew the injury history that's why he was a guy he was a day two type of talent but the injuries were such that you could never take him early that early in the draft so if he comes back if he's really playing well then great you got another depth corner but they absolutely can't go into the draft um this last year counting on Cory TR to contend for a starting job when he's coming off that bad injury and um and we're looking at this too next man up mentality I don't think any of this hinders the expectations of Trace we got to see how this goes he'd still get an opportunity to compete and earn a place within the defense regardless in Pittsburgh I think the Steelers are likely hoping that he's capable of being a piece of the rotation for years to come and uh I want to close with a little bit of fun here I don't know how consequential this is but it's just fun one of the largest players from Alabama to reach NFL he's back on a league roster Monday he was waved by the Baltimore Ravens and uh the Pittsburgh Steelers they got him taem Doss on the rosty he's this guy is listed at six foot five and 380 pounds one of the biggest guys you're ever going to see put on an NFL uniform and he's putting on a Steelers uniform if we can find one that fits uh he worked at tackle and guard with Baltimore and after first Round Pick Troy fanu after he sustained this knee injury on Friday night in this in the preseason opener that was a loss to Houston um the knee injury is expecting to sideline the rookie offensive tackle for at least two weeks so we're looking at just bringing this guy in kicking the tires seeing what he can do he he was a prep standout at alvil Alabama he played for the yellow jackets as their mascot they reached the ah ahaa class 1a championship game in the 20 16 Seasons so he's been around for a while two seasons at East Central Community College three seasons at Southern Mississippi and he signed with the Ravens as an undrafted rookie on May 5th 2023 spent last season on Baltimore's practice squad didn't appear in a regular season game and he resigned with the Ravens back in January Baltimore had the preseason opener on Friday night he got on the field for one offensive snap two special team plays in the in their 16-13 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles yeah I guess they weren't happy with him the Pittsburgh Steelers were able to pick him up and it's just kind of a fun pickup let's see how he is let's see how he does and can't practice as fanu is recovering from that injury and uh it's a good guy to have in town it's at least a fun guy to see on the field he's just a massive human maybe we get lucky maybe this was a roll dice May roll the dice that is going to come out in the Steelers head have yet another depth piece on the offensive line and what's wrong with that right you guys let me know what you think I had a suggestion to do story on Corey Trace lately and I've delivered on that promise you guys subscribe subscribe subscribe this give this makes it possible for me to keep doing this and if you have a player you'd love showcase let me know I would be happy to do it you guys enjoy Steel City football this offseason uh the preseason is underway and we'll talk soon