6 players Steelers should trade for before training camp

Essang Bassey

This time a year ago, Essang Bassey was an undrafted free agent that was suddenly thrust into the starting slot conversation. While he had his fair share of struggles, Bassey did enough to hold his own. He only allowed a 98.5 quarterback rating when he was targeted. In a vacuum, that number isn’t great, but when you consider that he did all of that after being a rookie that wasn’t drafted, that points to potential improvements.

Unfortunately for him, the Broncos heavily invested in their cornerback room this offseason. Ronald Darby and Kyle Fuller were signed as free agents and Patrick Surtain II was drafted in the first round of the draft. This makes the odds that Bassey makes the roster slim at best, and the Broncos may look to trade him before just simply releasing him. For the Steelers, their need for a slot cornerback makes the idea of trading for Bassey logical.

It likely wouldn’t take much right now. With Mike Hughes only netting a swap of sixth and seventh-round picks, Bassey could likely involve a deal with seventh-round picks changing hands in 2022 and 2023. Better yet, the Steelers may be able to flip a low-level player straight up for Bassey. While he needs some improvements, he would certainly add to the competition at slot cornerback. His value is extremely low right now, so adding him on the cheap would be an obvious move for the team.