3 reasons Steelers no longer the winner of Fitzpatrick trade

The Steelers could have signed a mid-range FA

Playing the hypothetical game (a dangerous thing to do), let’s say the Steelers don’t trade for Fitzpatrick in 2019 and keep their original picks. For starters, it’s safe to say the Steelers lose more than eight games. Fitzpatrick made this defense elite with his tenacity to take the ball away. Without him, the Steelers easily lose three more games, meaning their record comes in at a measly 5-11.

Without Fitzpatrick, the team would have a huge hole at FS. That said, they have multiple routes to fill it, starting with free agency. While the team wasn’t flush with cap space, they had enough to make some minor moves. Considering the deflation of the safety market, the Steelers would have been able to find at least a stop gate at the position.

The first option that comes to mind is Adrian Phillips, formerly of the Chargers who is now with the Patriots. While he was never a full-time starter for the Chargers, he was a great rotational piece in the secondary. He signed a deal for only three million a year, and so far has been a bright spot for the Patriots secondary. While not an elite player, Phillips would certainly have worked as a starter for a year or two.

As well, the Steelers could have targeted former Raider and now Browns safety Karl Joseph. The former first-round pick reportedly had a lot of interest from the Steelers going back to the draft but was taken too high for the team to be able to draft him. He has played pretty well for the Browns so far and likely would have transitioned well to the Steelers defense. While neither of these options are upgrades over Fitzpatrick, both are having similar success to Fitzpatrick right now. Even more importantly, neither would have cost a first-round pick.