Steelers Acquire Safety Fitzpatrick from Dolphins
[Pittsburgh,Pa] In a move that happened while most folks were sleeping, the Pittsburgh Steelers acquired Safety Minkah Fitzpatrick from the Miami Dolphins for a 2020 1st round pick. The Dolphins are also getting the Steelers’ 2020 5th-round pick and a 6th-rounder in 2021, and the Steelers will receive Miami’s 2020 4th-round pick and a 7th-round pick in 2021.
Fitzpatrick is the Dolphins 2018 1st round pick out of Alabama and wanted out of Miami because he was asked to play multiple positions. Fitzpatrick had been linked to several NFL teams as possible trade destinations, with the Steelers being one of them.
#Steelers and #Dolphins both make it official.
Steelers traded for Dolphins DB Minkah Fitzpatrick and draft picks in exchange for draft picks.pic.twitter.com/AG08dHeohD
— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) September 17, 2019
In 2018, Fitzpatrick had 80 total tackles, and 2 interceptions for the 0-2 Dolphins, and had 8 total tackles and a forced fumble after 2 games in 2019. He carries a salary of $1.8 million this year, followed by salaries of $1.9 million and $2.7 million, plus a fifth-year option in 2022.
Minkah joins a Steelers secondary that desperately needs a shot in the arm after 2 subpar performances that led to losses vs. The New England Patriots and Seattle Seahawks. He’s already an upgrade in a secondary that has lacked fundamentals and has already lost Sean Davis due to injury. Davis’ replacement Kam Kelly (From the Alliance of American Football) was badly beaten in the loss to the Patriots. The hope is that Fitzpatrick can have the same impact on the Steelers as the Troy Polamalu and Ryan Clark years. He was also drafted in the same year as the Steelers #1 pick: Fellow Safety Terrell Edmunds.
New #Steelers safety Minkah Fitzpatrick will start Sunday in San Francisco https://t.co/DWrf9MPOWw pic.twitter.com/YoBpqSIz96
— Steelers Depot 7⃣ (@Steelersdepot) September 17, 2019
Monday was truly an eventful day for the Steelers which began with the harrowing news that Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger will have season-ending surgery on his right elbow and that backup Mason Rudolph is his replacement. The Steelers acquisition of Fitzpatrick for a 1st rounder shows that they’re either very confident that Rudolph will do well, and the Steelers can rebound from their 0-2 start, or Roethlisberger will return for 2020.
Either way, it’s the Steelers boldest move since giving up a 2nd and 4th round pick in 1996 for future Hall of Fame Running Back Jerome Bettis.
Notes: The Steelers will play Fitzpatrick’s former team when they host the Dolphins on Monday Night Football. (October 28)
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