Trade options the Pittsburgh Steelers have to consider before the deadline
This is a player you are likely not familiar with that the Vikings have as a one of their top rotational pieces on the defensive line
His name is Armon Watts and the Pittsburgh Steelers should consider bringing him in. Chris Wormley has not done as much and Henry Mondeaux played poorly on the defensive line in his few in the rotation. With Cam Heyward and Tyson Alualu both over the age of 30, the Steelers need to be able to have another guy they can rotate in. He doesn’t have to excel as a pass rusher but it is key that he can eat up some blocks in the running game especially down the stretch. We saw Derrick Henry nearly triple his yardage total in the second half and it set up the play-action passing game that almost brought the Titans the win in Week 7.
Watts is only a second-year player, and he is a former 6th round pick. He flashed his potential in Week 17 of the 2019 season where in just 45 snaps he accumulated 1 sack, 3 tackles, and a forced fumble. I am not saying that he is going to be the future of the franchise but he showed a flash of the upside his athleticism for his size can bring. In the 2019 combine at 300 pounds, he ran a 5.23 in the 40 yard dash time. It isn’t the record, yet it is impressive nonetheless for a 300-pound man to hit 15 miles per hour while running at any point in his lifetime.
He is someone that they could work with for the future if Tyson Alualu doesn’t last much longer but the more important part is that he would give the Steelers an extra guy to bring in on the interior to keep such an impressive defensive line fresh. Furthermore, he could bring quality depth if one of the starters does go down in a more consistent capacity.
The Steelers wouldn’t have to worry about cap with a 6th round pick’s rookie contract. The question is what do you give the Vikings? There really isn’t a position the Vikings should target that Pittsburgh could afford to give up the depth. However, the Vikings are low on cap and could be pressure to move off some of their stars and work towards a rebuild. Minnesota could flip heir 2019 6th round pick with some upside but failed to win a starting job even with Michael Pierce opting out of 2020 for Covid-19, for a 2020 4th round pick. They could use that pick in a draft-day trade package to move up in the draft should they see an offensive lineman, or pass rusher they like at the end of the 1st or second round.
I propose the Pittsburgh Steelers offer the Minnesota Vikings a 2020 4th round pick for Armon Watts in hopes that he can provide better heft in a rotational capacity with the chance to become a viable starter later in his career.