Steelers should inquire about a trade for Broncos CB Bryce Callahan

The Pittsburgh Steelers are in need of an upgrade at cornerback, and Denver’s Bryce Callahan could be the perfect solution to their problems.

Despite losing both Mike Hilton and Steven Nelson in free agency this offseason, the Pittsburgh Steelers elected to ignore the cornerback position in the 2021 NFL Draft – even with 9 selections this year. In free agency, money was tight due to the pandemic and Arthur Maulet was the only help they received.

Upon cutting their roster down to 53 players before the August 31st deadline, the Steelers had just 4 cornerbacks under on their squad: Joe Haden, Cameron Sutton, James Pierre, and Justin Layne. Maulet didn’t even make the cut, but he was recently brought back after Pittsburgh send Stephon Tuitt, Zach Banner, and Anthony McFarland to IR.

Throughout the entire offseason and during preseason this year, cornerback has been one of the biggest question marks on the team, and the Steelers have done nothing to make us believe differently. Nickel and dime defenses are run more often than ever before in today’s NFL, so it’s essential that teams have 3-4 good cornerbacks they can count on.

Sadly, Pittsburgh has just one cornerback with ample starting experience and he’s 32 years old. While Sutton was impressive in a part-time role, we still don’t know how he will perform now that he will rarely be leaving the field. Likewise, Pierre (who has just 27 career defensive snaps during the regular season) could be asked to play RCB in sub-packages this year.

The Steelers could really use an upgrade and some quality experience, and the Denver Broncos may have just what they need.

Steelers should call about a trade for Bryce Callahan

Cornerback Bryce Callahan has been spectacular over the past few seasons. After grading out as one of the best cornerbacks in the league with the Chicago Bears in 2018, the impressive cornerback earned a three-year, $21 million contract with the Denver Broncos in 2019. Unfortunately, complications from his foot surgery caused him to miss the entire 2019 season.

The good news is that this surgery did not impact his effectiveness on the field. While he still missed six games last year, Callahan graded out as the 3rd-best cornerback in the NFL in 2020, according to Pro Football Focus.

So why would Denver be willing to trade him to the Steelers? There are a few good reasons I can think of. For starters, Callahan has a lengthy injury history. Dating back to his rookie season in 2015, he hasn’t been able to suit up for more than 13 contests in a single season.

In addition, he has an $8.5 million cap hit this season. Considering the Broncos are already paying roughly $10 million each per year to Ronald Darby and Kyle Fuller, the team could look to save some money here. On top of this, Denver drafted a generation cornerback prospect in Patrick Surtain II with the 9th overall pick this year, so they aren’t lacking depth.

If traded, the Steelers would be asked to take on Callahan’s $6.5 million base salary this year. Considering Pittsburgh currently has roughly $14 million, according to Over the Cap, this is manageable.

At 5’9” and 188 pounds, Callahan is built from the same mold as Mike Hilton, but he’s a much better coverage player who has proven to dominate in both the slot and the boundary. Considering his injury history and price tag, acquiring the services of a very good NFL cornerback could cost them as little as a late-round pick.

This would be a perfect match for the Steelers if they were able to pull this off. I expect a move for a cornerback to be coming – whether in free agency or via trade. Bryce Callahan just makes sense.