Steelers stood pat as the NFL trade deadline expired

The NFL trade deadline passed Tuesday at 4:00 PM Eastern Time. Here’s why the Pittsburgh Steelers elected not to make a move.

There were some who thought the Pittsburgh Steelers could look to make a move before the NFL trade deadline came to pass, but they elected to stand firm in the roster they already have. Their big deal came earlier in the season, and it was one that they rarely ever make.

The Steelers traded for Dolphins safety, Minkah Fitzpatrick, after their week two loss to the Seahawks and starting safety Sean Davis was placed on injured reserve. It was because of this move that Kevin Colbert and Mike Tomlin likely elected to forgo any trade opportunity that would have potentially bolstered their roster prior to the 4:00 PM deadline.

Pittsburgh is already missing their first and third-round pick next year thanks to the Minkah Fitzpatrick trade and the move to go up and land linebacker Devin Bush in the 2019 NFL Draft. With little capital to work with, the Steelers were hardly in a position to make another big move.

Of course, there is always room for improvement, and there are a few moves they probably wish they could have pulled the trigger on. The Steelers could be down to their fourth-string running back this week as they face the Indianapolis Colts in what is another must-win game.

We saw Kenyon Drake get traded to the Cardinals for a conditional late-round draft choice in 2020. If Pittsburgh had more draft capital before the trade deadline, they could have made a similar move.

The Steelers brass also could have looked for players to help bolster their defensive line. Stephon Tuitt went down for the season with a pectoral tear just before the bye. While Tyson Alualu is a former first-round pick capable of a starting gig, they could have saught more help to fill Tuitt’s shoes.

Just a day before the deadline, the Giants traded for Jets defensive tackle, Leonard Williams. Though he was the former 6th overall pick in 2015, they were able to land him for just a 3rd and a 5th round draft choice. Williams is a big 6’5” defensive lineman cut from the same breed as Tuitt. It would have been interesting to see if Pittsburgh would have considered him if they had more draft capital to work with.

The excitement of the NFL trade period is now over. Now we can focus on the players the Steelers do have. Let’s hope that they are enough to continue to get the job done as Pittsburgh inches their way towards playoff contention.