The Steelers should still be looking to better this team via trade with some of these names.
The Steelers were able to accomplish a lot of their major tasks this offseason. They addressed major areas of need and brought in quality players to secure starting spots for this team. A lot was done well, but they could use some more additions to secure some less-than-ideal situations currently on the roster.
Questions remain, mostly at depth roles for this club. They need different things like a running back who could help give Najee Harris some breaks from time to time. They could also use a defensive lineman, cornerback, and potentially some other depth adds as well.
We have seen Pittsburgh not shy away from the trade market in recent years. That was a different regime, and it is yet to be seen how Omar Khan and his front office will attack a potential trade market. This also depends on who is available and for what price as we start to get ready for the training camp portion of the offseason.
J.J. Watt would be a dream acquisition for the Steelers
J.J. Watt might seem like a pipedream for many different reasons for Steelers fans. It would be nice to have all three Watt brothers on the same club dat least once in their respective careers. This might not be a trade idea that becomes reality, but the black and gold need a player like Watt.
Stephon Tuitt just retired and that leaves a big hole to fill at the starting end spot, just like last season. They need stability and Watt would bring that to Pittsburgh. It seems that the Steelers will be content with having a rotation of players fill the hole that Tuitt left, but that could prove disastrous. Imagine Cam Heyward and Watt on the same line together with T.J. Watt coming off the edge, what a dream.
Greedy Williams would bring some starting experience to depth at the position
Greedy Williams was a former second-round pick by the Cleveland Browns in 2019. He has lost favor in that organization and seems to be out of a starting job. He has not been what many thought he would develop into since being taken in the draft coming out of LSU.
There are other starters currently employed on the Browns roster that will get the nod on gamedays. Keeping Williams could be a very real scenario and just storing him in a depth role for 2022. It has not been what the billing showed for this player, but he is still young and should be able to get another shot elsewhere.
The Steelers need someone like this player for their depth at cornerback. They have completed a trade with the Browns in the past for a cornerback before. That trade did not work out too well for either team, but it was worth a shot then and it’s worth a try now.
Williams would provide solid depth for a team that does not have a deep cornerback room. He could also potentially push some of the starters for one of their gigs if he shows enough. If he does not, then he would be a depth player with starting experience if someone would get injured with potentially some untapped potential.
Grady Jarrett would be an immediate upgrade at defensive line for the Steelers
Grady Jarrett is a wrecking ball in the middle of the trenches for the Atlanta Falcons. His game has seemed to slip some since the Falcons started to fall off. The blame cannot be entirely placed on this player as the club around him also started to fall apart.
A change of scenery seems like the best outcome for this player as he looks to return to form when he was once one of the best defensive tackles in the league. Bringing him to Pittsburgh would be a benefit for all involved. The Falcons get something in return for a player that has been struggling with a high cap number and the Steelers get a Stephon Tuitt replacement.
This would be a gamble for the black and gold as they would have to be sure that this player could turn things around. His production has been poor, but his past of being a terrific player in this league is not a flash in the pan. If he could return to form and play like that next to Cam Heyward, that would be a very impressive sight to see.
Another move that seems like it would have an uphill battle to come true. This player is under contract for a while with a big cap hit. That could scare away the team, but the gamble on Jarrett returning to form might just be worth it. Saving on cap space should entice the Falcons enough to trade this player for little value.
Myles Gaskin could be a complimentary piece to Najee Harris
Myles Gaskin might be one of the more realistic options on this list of interesting trade candidates. He had a solid year for the Miami Dolphins in 2021 despite only playing in a backup-type role. He was able to come along slowly in the organization and continued to grow his part in the club.
This running back is very cheap and makes under a million bucks for this season before becoming a free agent. That will attract the Steelers even more, even though they have a decent chunk of spending money if they choose to use it. Pittsburgh needs a solid option behind Najee Harris and this player could provide that.
He is a speedier type of back that can do both running and catching the football. He would allow for the offense to keep their full playbook in motion while Harris took breaks. Acquiring such a player would not cost much either as he would likely get released by the Dolphins anyways.
Sitting as the fourth-string player at any position makes it hard to make a final roster. That is where Gaskin currently sits and that would lead to Miami potentially shopping him via trade. It would be a wise move to add another running back to this group, preferably one that can complement Harris and the running game.
Lorenzo Carter would bring depth to the outside linebacker position
Lorenzo Carter is someone that had some interesting tools when he was coming out of Georgia. His career has not panned out to develop into the next star pass rusher, but he is a solid depth piece. It is not very common for a club that just signed a player via free agency to trade him that same year, but it happens.
He had his best season in 2021 before he left the New York Giants. It is still at a production that normally a backup player would produce and that should be music to the Steelers ears. They need a solid third option at the outside linebacker position behind their two starters.
T.J. Watt and Alex Highsmith are still the guys this year and they create a good tandem. Watt is a special player that is currently on his way to making a Hall of Fame resume after tying the single-season sack record last year. Highsmith is a young player that started to show flashes of being a solid contributor in his first season as the main starter opposite of Watt.
Finding a veteran to come in and contribute when one of these two edge rushers needs a breather in between plays is vital. At the end of the year 2021 really started showing the issues of not having the kind of depth needed for this defense when it comes to that position. Getting someone in the building with this kind of resume and athleticism would be a big addition.
The Steelers still have some question marks on this roster, despite doing a good job filling holes this offseason. They should look at the trade market to potentially secure some positions before the regular season starts.