With the trade deadline coming up, the Steelers could be wise to shop around some of their underutilized talents in order to improve the team overall.
The Steelers are a team that is rarely active at the trade deadline. For starters, more often than not, this team is set up to compete, meaning there is little need for the team to ship off talent. As well, the Steelers notoriously like to build their roster through the draft. This means big-ticket trades are rare for the team, as they instead opt to keep their draft picks instead of shipping them out for players.
All of this said the Steelers are in a rare position this year. Considering they are the last undefeated team in the NFL, the team could make a serious push at the Super Bowl this year. There are still holes on the roster though and adding some top-notch talent via trade could push the team over the top. Considering the team doesn’t have a surplus of draft picks, adding a player to a potential deal could help the Steelers land a top player.
With the Steelers competing, trading a player isn’t overly likely, but if it helps the Steelers land a superior player, it may be worth it. These players are all ones that may have fallen down the depth chart or will be a free agent next offseason. If the team can get an upgrade for them, they should look into it before the trade deadline. With all of this considered, here are the Steelers’ best tradable options currently on the roster.
Jaylen Samuels
Jaylen Samuels is the bane of my existence on the Steelers roster. He offers nothing for the team; he lacks the vision and burst to run effectively, and his hands are suspect for a player that is lauded for his catching ability. The Steelers would be wise to move on from him, as they could allow rookie Anthony McFarland to see his snaps and move a player like Wendall Smallwood up from the practice squad.
To be fair, the compensation wouldn’t be high, anything more than a conditional late 2022 draft pick would be a surprise, but considering this would lead to more snaps for McFarland, that is almost a free pick. Say a team offers a conditional 6th round in 2022 that turns into a seventh based on playing time. That gives the Steelers an additional late rounder to help move around if they need to then. Considering they aren’t getting anything out of Samuels, this move would make a lot of sense.
As well, the Steelers could package a pick and Samuels for a player. Again, his value isn’t great, but a team that needs some running back depth could take him in exchange for a slightly lower draft pick. Don’t expect a blockbuster move involving him, but it would be wise to move him. The team has players ready to take over for him and they would get some sort of compensation for him.
Matt Feiler
The following two picks are bound to be the most controversial, but let me emphasize again, these are only the players that make sense to get moved, not the ones that the Steelers absolutely have to trade. Matt Feiler has been a pleasant surprise for the team since signing with the team. He emerged as more than a capable right tackle last year, and while his shift to guard hasn’t been perfect, he has still proven to be more than capable.
That said, the Steelers also have a bright rookie that is looking for playing time in Kevin Dotson. The 4th round pick has looked great in the games he has started, and he is making it hard to keep him off the field. While trading Feiler certainly hurts the offensive line in terms of depth, the Steelers also have Stefen Wisniewski who should be back soon from injury. He is more than capable of depth along the inside.
Now, the team would be fools to just give Feiler away, but if a team called and offered a third or fourth for him, that could be enough to get him. The Steelers will have a hard time resigning him after this season, so landing some compensation now for him would be a plus. Given his value, he could also help land a talented player from another team. This would set the team up for a better run this year. While it would be a risk on the line to trade him, Dotson has looked good enough to make the deal worth it.
James Washington
As a fan, I can’t say enough good things about James Washington, as his physical play is fun to watch, and his quiet demeanor is a good look for a player. That said, when the team’s receiving unit was fully healthy this week, it was clear that Washington was the odd man out, as he only played 18 snaps. Couple that with his rookie contract expiring after next season, now may be the best time to move on from him.
This is especially true if the Steelers plan on retaining JuJu Smith-Schuster, as that would leave Washington with a further reduced role. His value is about as good as it will get right now, and the team would be wise to capitalize on it. As well, with a depth player like Ray-Ray McCloud excelling, he could take some of his snaps. Deon Cain is also on the practice squad, and he showed some promise as a depth receiver last year.
Like Feiler, the Steelers shouldn’t just give away Washington, but if they could land a third or better for him, it would be a hard deal to pass upon. This isn’t a testament to his ability, as he has a lot of talent, but the team prefers their other receivers over him. If the value is right, now is the time to flip him.
When looking at the list, it is clear the Steelers aren’t flush with players to trade before the deadline next week. That said, there are still quite a few options that could intrigue other teams. Keep the above names in mind as the deadline approaches, as any of them could be on the move.