3 players the Steelers could wager in offseason trading
By Austin Lloyd
The Pittsburgh Steelers have one of the most loaded rosters in the NFL today, and with that comes much attrition for offseason trading.
Whether it is on the offensive or defensive side of things, there is no denying that the Steelers have a hefty list of weapons on their team. However, while we may want all of them, we do not need all of them.
My personal belief is that if you have, say, 3 solid enough players for one position, then just about everyone else within that said unit is most likely pretty expendable. So where Pittsburgh has the most depth is where one needs to look, in regards to who could be at risk of being traded elsewhere. For them, that would probably be receiving options along with members of the offensive backfield. The defense, on the other hand, should stay exactly how it is.
Now I tried my absolute hardest to ensure that only realistic names would be seen on this list. In other words, players such as Ben Roethlisberger and TJ Watt were never even considered for this article, and the reasons why should be rather obvious. With all of that in mind, let’s take a look at three players that the Pittsburgh Steelers could afford to trade away in the offseason.
Vance McDonald, Tight End
Especially after the departure of Jesse James a couple of seasons back, the idea of this would typically seem quite idiotic. But since the signing of Pro Bowler Eric Ebron, combined with the Steelers holding their own offensively while Vance was off the field, has really brought his importance into question for me.
What doesn’t help his case is the fact that the Steelers wide receiver corps is one of the deepest in the league. And even when it comes to offensive line help he would be minimal, as their biggest issue revolves around their failures to make adequate holes for running back James Conner up the middle.
But while all of this is true, it hurts me to put McDonald on this list nonetheless, as he has been very loyal to the Pittsburgh franchise throughout his time in the Steel City. If he isn’t traded, I hope that he regains some of his value on the offense so that his security on the Steelers roster is ironclad in the future.