For a wide variety of reasons, the Steelers are the clear winners of the Williamson trade
It was announced on Sunday that the Steelers were acquiring six-year veteran linebacker Avery Williamson from the Jets. Considering the Jets are attempting to fully tank for a high draft pick, it makes sense that they would ship off one of their few bright spots on defense. As for the Steelers, adding Williamson to their already good defense should make their defense elite going forward.
While it should be noted as well that this isn’t necessarily a horrible trade for the Jets. Williamson was surely going to leave as a free agent after this year, and with the Jets wanting to secure the number one pick, moving on from Williamson is a smart move. While the compensation isn’t high (more on that later), they still got something for a player that now makes their odds of securing the top pick better.
As for the Steelers, they get another body to add to their linebacking crew. After the injury from Devin Bush, the Steelers had a clear hole at linebacker. While backup Robert Spillane was filling in well on running downs, he was a liability against the pass. Williamson isn’t a great coverage option, but he seems to be at least the best option they have on the current roster. It may not be by much but adding him to the roster is a great move for the Steelers.
With all of this considered, here are the reasons the Steelers are clear winners in the Williamson trade.