In two days, the Pittsburgh Steelers made some major changes to their roster to slim down to the mandatory 53-man limit, but the trade for J.J. Wilcox with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers – the third such move by the organization in two days – was a surprise. Most Steelers fans were unfamiliar with the name, but Wilcox brings some experience and depth to the safety position that comes with a little hard-core grit as well.

Wilcox is in his fifth NFL season after spending the first four with the Dallas Cowboys. The former third-round pick in the 2013 NFL Draft moved to starting safety in 2014 and retained that spot through 2015. He was moved down the depth chart during the 2016 season and only played in four games in the final year of his rookie deal due to the emergence of first-round pick Byron Jones.

Wilcox signed a two-year contract with the Buccaneers during the offseason and spent a lot of time in the defensive backfield during their training camp. In fact, his teammate Gerald McCoy told Greg Auman of the Tampa Bay Times that he thought Wilcox had gone unnoticed during camp despite a nice showing behind fellow safeties Keith Tandy and Chris Conte.

He dominated camp. I don’t know if y’all talked about it much, but he dominated camp. We tally up some things on the defensive end …  J.J. was winning by a landslide. They’ll find a way to get him out there. He’s that type of guy. If I had to say one guy, it’d be him.

Wilcox had been working towards rebuilding his identity while training with the Bucs, moving beyond the dangerous hitter image to one of a complete defensive back. During camp, Wilcox said:

I feel like I’ve changed my game around a lot. I was known for being a hard hitter, for being aggressive, but I want someone to know I can get the ball, too. In this business, safeties are known when they get the ball away…

This trade goes well beyond the exchange between the Steelers for Wilcox and a seventh-round pick in the 2019 draft and the sixth-round pick in 2018 that Tampa Bay received in return.

Free safety Mike Mitchell plans on playing in the Steelers’ season opener against the Cleveland Browns, but he’s been hampered by a soft-tissue injury to a leg that kept him a no-show for the entire preseason. Backup strong safety Jordan Dangerfield sprained an ankle in the Steelers’ preseason finale per his agent, Abu Toppin. On Monday, the Steelers waived/injured Dangerfield.

We have signed LB Steven Johnson, placed CB Cameron Sutton on the Reserve/Injured List & Waived/Injured S Jordan Dangerfield. pic.twitter.com/TxJQK2jcnM

— Pittsburgh Steelers (@steelers) September 4, 2017

Wilcox, who has played a hybrid safety/linebacker role in the past, is now in the mix. With just Sean Davis and Robert Golden on the depth chart at the position, the Steelers had to find a capable, effective answer to their depth issue; they went out and found a guy that can make an immediate and crucial impact.

The option of William Gay moving to safety was rumored but never confirmed. Gay has spent time in the ‘dime’ slot, but with Wilcox on the roster, the rumors can be put to bed – for now.

Pittsburgh got a nice look at Wilcox’s style first-hand when they played the Cowboys last season in Week 10. Wilcox recorded five total tackles (four solo) and put a hard hit on Le’Veon Bell that fans weren’t too happy about. The Cowboys went on to beat the Steelers, 35-30.

Wilcox has playoff experience. He appeared in two games in 2014 and one in 2016, recording nine tackles.

Whether the Steelers will make any additions to the roster at the safety position remains to be seen, but if Wilcox is truly transitioning – as he stated – from being a ‘hitter’ into a complete defensive back, he will give Pittsburgh the type of heads-up, active, play-stopping ability they’ve been seeking over the past few seasons.