4 players Steelers should trade for during training camp

Steelers should trade for Hicks

With the recent retirement of Vince Williams, the Steelers may be on the hunt for another veteran linebacker to add to their roster. While Robert Spillane can be counted on to start, a potential Cardinals castoff could end up being a far better fit. Jordan Hicks has had quite a successful career as a complete linebacker. He can play the run and cover in space on passing plays. Add in his athletic traits, and he should be a capable starter on most rosters.

The issue is, the Cardinals made the recent investments in Zaven Collins and Isaiah Simmons over the past two drafts, and now Hicks may be on his way out. The Steelers should be all over this though, as he could be slotted in to start right away across from Devin Bush. While he is on a moderately sized deal, the team would only take on a three million dollar base salary this year. They could restructure that deal and shave off a million in cap space if needed as well.

The draft capital to bring him in wouldn’t be immense either. Off-ball linebackers don’t present the most value to defenses, and the Cardinals have made it pretty clear that they are ok with moving on from Hicks. The Steelers could likely get him for a late-round pick. I would guess a sixth-round pick would be enough, and potentially just a seventh-round pick depending on what his market is right now. The Steelers could get a cheap starter at linebacker to keep that group strong heading into the 2021 season.

The Steelers still have a few roster holes despite camp opening, and targeting a veteran via trade could help fill them. These four names make a lot of sense for the team and wouldn’t require a huge amount of capital to bring in. Keep these names in mind as the team looks to better the positions on their roster that they deem aren’t adequate.