Low cost trades Steelers should pursue during training camp

Haason Reddick

Haason Reddick was an uber-athletic LB out of Temple in 2017, and reportedly the Steelers had a lot of interest in him leading up to the draft. The Cardinals took him before the Steelers could, and he has since gone on to struggle as a starter. Seemingly his biggest issue has been finding a constant role on defense. He entered the league as an ILB, shifted to more of an outside role, and now he lacks a true position on defense.

While his lack of a position isn’t ideal, Reddick would be a clear ILB in the Steelers defense. Considering the lack of depth at the position and the questions some fans have about Vince Williams, adding a player like Reddick could be a low-risk high reward type move. Reddick has upside as a pass rusher too, meaning a more full-time role as an ILB, especially in the Steelers system that likes to blitz from the inside, could utilize him to the fullest extent.

The biggest issues facing Reddick coming to the Steelers are his ability as a coverage LB and his price. While Reddick is athletic, he gave up 7 TD’s in coverage last season. While not ideal, he still has shown more in coverage than Williams has. In terms of cost, Reddick is currently projected to cost about 4.3 million in cap space as he enters the final year of his rookie deal. While that number is a little higher than the Steelers would like, it should still fit with their current cap projections.

In terms of trade cost, Reddick is being heavily speculated as a cap casualty. If that’s the case, he likely could be had for a 6th-7th round pick. Assuming the Steelers gave up a 6th for him, that would be a minimal investment for a player with his upside and ability. While he wouldn’t be a full-time starter, he should be able to provide quality depth and perhaps even leap Williams for playing time.