6 blockbuster trades Steelers must pursue to keep up in the AFC

Stephon Gilmore

The rumors were swirling mid-season that the Patriots were looking to move on from Stephon Gilmore, and those rumors haven’t died down into the offseason. Gilmore is an extremely talented player, but he is getting older and is coming off one of his worst seasons as a pro. He won’t be cheap by any means, but he should be affordable enough to make a move for.

Gilmore is one of the top shut down corners in the league when healthy. Health was an issue last season though, as he only played in 11 games and struggled more so than he usually does when on the field. He gave up a quarterback rating of 75.7. That is still a great number, but it is a far cry from his 44.1 rating he allowed last year during his MVP campaign. That said, he would instantly be the best corner on the roster and would greatly improve this defense.

The real question is what would the Patriots want in a trade and what would Gilmore want in a contract? He is in the final year of his deal, so the team would want to extend him, but his age would make that a risk. The Steelers could so fair voidable years, which would lower his cap hit as well protect them from him falling off. As for compensation, I don’t think the Patriots could get more than a second for him, and maybe even only a third like what Darius Slay cost last season. While long term he wouldn’t be an option, adding him would improve the Steelers Super Bowl hopes in 2021.

While the Steelers will still be making some moves this offseason, they need to be aggressive when adding some premiere talent. Adding one or more of these players in a blockbuster deal would go a long way in improving their odds to win in 2021.