Buccaneers coach Bruce Arians said earlier this preseason that he liked the depth of the Pittsburgh Steelers' offensive line. He wasn't joking.
On Saturday, a day where each team is required to trim their roster down to 53 players in preparation for the start of the regular season, Arians' Tampa Bay Buccaneers traded a sixth-round pick in the 2021 draft to land Jerald Hawkins, a veteran tackle from Pittsburgh and a fourth-round pick in the 2016 NFL draft. The Buccaneers also received Pittsburgh's seventh-round pick in the 2021 draft.
A 6-foot-6, 305-pound product from LSU, Hawkins has missed two seasons with injuries. He did appear in five games in 2017, including making his first career start.
Hawkins had been third on Pittsburgh's depth chart at left tackle prior to the trade, behind Pro Bowler Alejandro Villanueva and fellow backup Zach Banner. Instead of releasing him on Saturday, Pittsburgh was also to trade Hawkins while getting some equity in return.
After failing to solidify a consistent role in Pittsburgh, Hawkins will now look to compete with Donovan Smith and Demar Dotson to be one of Tampa Bay's swing tackles for the 2019 season.
