Why the Steelers should trade for J.J. Watt now
Why the trade makes sense
Secondly, a change of scenery would do wonders for J.J. Watt. Face it, J.J. wants a championship. One thing is sure he will not get one playing in Houston, especially since Houston is 0-2 in 2020. The prospect of a championship for the Texans will not happen this year. Into his 10th season, the clock is ticking on his career and a Superbowl ring.
A trade to the Steelers, on the other hand, puts him on a team that clearly has the best chance to win everything in 2020. He should be begging the Texans for a trade. Earlier in 2020, he stated he would not seek a contract extension. So, if J.J sticks to his word, that opens the door for the Steelers to sign him in 2023. However, signing him in 2023 makes little sense. He would be well past his prime; any deal would be no more than one or two years at best. With the salary cap, the Steelers potentially lose several great players and may not be in contention for a championship in 2023. In 2020 though, the timing is perfect.
Another angle is that if the Steelers trade made now, J.J could make a considerable difference towards the improvement of the Steelers pass rush. How formidable would the Steelers pass rush be when an opposing offensive line has to block both Watt brothers. Then that opens up Cam Heyward or Stephon Tuitt to get to the quarterback. In all honesty, adding him could make the Steelers pass rush as nearly as devastating as the one they had in the 70s’.
The statistics of the Watt brothers give the notion some credence. J.J and T.J could be the 2020 equivalent of “Mean Joe” and Lambert in the ’70s. Look at this in perspective Stephon Tuitt on one end, Cam Heyward at defensive tackle J.J. Watt on the other end. Then you have T.J. Watt, Devin Bush bolstering the linebackers, and in the secondary, you have Minkah Fitzpatrick and Terell Edmunds with Joe Haden. That is some talent. Sure one can argue if it is as great as the steel curtain of the 70’s yet that group would rack up some serious sack numbers if anything else. Ok, you may have noticed one Steelers linebacker not mentioned; there is a reason for that. Yes, to get J.J, the Steelers would have to make a sacrifice.
Lastly, adding J.J. Watt to the Pittsburgh defensive line could and probably would shut down most offenses. Keep in mind the Steelers have to play Baltimore twice. That means facing Lamar Jackson, who can dissect secondaries surgically or just outrun them. Acquiring J.J. Watt changes that. The Steelers could keep Lamar contained in the pocket, preventing him from scrambling for a hundred yards forcing him to win on his passing ability alone. The Steelers could shut down the Baltimore passing game. If the Steelers want to win the AFC North, stopping Baltimore becomes a priority. Adding J.J. Watt does just that.
That only leaves the Kansas City Chiefs as the only AFC opponent to challenge the Steelers. More than likely, the Chiefs and Steelers would be the AFC Championship Game. Assuming the Steelers win there, who comes out of the NFC to face them. As of now, there are no standouts that could seriously challenge Pittsburgh at that point.