This Steelers roster still has a lot of holes, and these five players would be sensical trade targets before the regular season begins.
The Steelers have flashed a lot of talent on this roster, but despite the highs of the team, there are quite a few issues still on this roster. With roster cuts right around the corner, teams will be more willing to deal the players on their proverbial trade block. Pittsburgh has never been that shy of these deals, as they have been willing to bring in players that they were interested in.
This roster still has quite a few holes on it, as evident by the struggles this team has showcased so far in the preseason. While adding talent this late likely won’t turn everything around, getting a key player or two could be big for this season. With all of that said, here are five players the Steelers should try to bring in before the regular season begins.
Jenkins makes sense for cheap
It was announced a few weeks ago that the Bears were supposedly shopping around last year’s second-round pick Teven Jenkins. An injury-riddled rookie season led to a rough offseason in Chicago. Reports of his immaturity have surfaced, and Chicago may look to deal the young tackle soon.
The Steelers would be a logical landing spot for Jenkins. Reports were that Pittsburgh loved Jenkins coming out of school. Add in his versatility to play either tackle spot means he would be pushing either of the penciled-in starters. Assuming his asking price is low, Jenkins could be a prime trade target for this team.
Powers could come over from a rival
The Ravens have had fierce competition brewing for one of their starting guard spots. As of this writing, it seems as though Tyre Phillips has beaten out incumbent starter Ben Powers, and as a result, he could find himself on the trade block. While not an elite lineman, Powers would be an upgrade at guard for this offense.
Powers is entering the final year of his rookie contract, and while the Ravens could keep him around as depth, they may look to flip him for a draft pick. While the Steelers trading with the Ravens isn’t a common thing, both sides have dealt with each other before. Netting a starting caliber guard would be a huge get for a team that is struggling to block right now.
Danna could solidify the edge room
The Steelers have two great starters at edge rusher, but the depth behind them isn’t great. A name that could be made available is Mike Danna. The former fifth-round pick has developed into quite the rotational pass rusher for the Chiefs. He now faces an extremely crowded room and could potentially be the fourth edge rusher or even dealt.
The Steelers need a capable third option, and Danna would provide that. He has recorded a healthy 5.5 sacks over the past two seasons in his role. Pittsburgh could comfortably slot him in as their third edge rusher and the first player off the depth chart. He makes a lot of sense now that he is buried on the depth chart.
Risner would be a huge get for this line
It is no secret that the Steelers offensive line has looked bad during the preseason. While not a conventional trade target, Dalton Risner has been the focus of a lot of trade rumors. This is due to a shift in offensive blocking as well as him entering the final year of his rookie deal. He could be on the move despite starting the past three seasons.
To be clear, getting Risner likely wouldn’t be cheap. Despite a philosophical shift in blocking techniques, Risner can likely still hold his own as a blocker. That said if this team wants to get serious about getting this offensive line back on the right track, making an aggressive move for Risner before the season would make sense.
Jones would be a huge get for the defense
There was hope that Devin Bush would finally be over his injury from his sophomore season and would begin to look like the former top-ten pick the team thought he would be. To this point, he hasn’t looked good, and he seems to be struggling with the same issues that made him a liability last year. The Steelers don’t have anyone behind him either.
While not necessarily on the trade block, the Falcons are in the middle of a rebuild, and Deion Jones could be shown the door soon. While injuries have limited him, Jones is a premiere off-ball linebacker. Pairing him with Myles Jack would be a huge win, and it would really set this defense to help pull this offense during this season.
While the Steelers will have to go into the season with some question marks on the roster, there are some potential trade targets that could make sense for the team. Keep these five targets in mind as the NFL gets ready to trim down to their final rosters.