The Steelers would be wise to be stockpiling draft picks, and these four veterans could be traded to acquire more.
The Steelers are heading into one of their most critical offseason periods in recent memory. The team has their quarterback, for better or for worse, locked into a rookie deal, and now they need to get aggressive in building a competitive roster around him. There are some players in place, but the offseason needs to be dedicated to bettering this roster for Kenny Pickett.
Part of the equation could be trading underwhelming players for draft picks to help build out this roster. While the Steelers have never been aggressive traders before, they have some names that should at least be floated around to other teams to see what they could get. Here are the four current Steelers players that could be traded this offseason.
Steelers should trade Kendrick Green for almost anything
Easily one of the worst picks the Steelers have made in recent years, Kendrick Green was a raw player with far too large of expectations as a rookie. He predictably struggled, and this past season saw him reduced to a gameday inactive for most of the season. The team isn’t comfortable with him even as a backup, so moving on seems likely.
The only benefit of Green is that offensive linemen retain a lot of value for teams. Anyone that showed interest in him before the draft may want the chance to secure his services as opposed to risking him entering waivers. It wouldn’t be for much, at the most, it would be a swap of late-round picks but getting anything back for him would be a huge win.
Mitch Trubisky has no desire to stick around
The Steelers signed Mitch Trubisky with the intention of him starting as they groomed Pickett on the bench. That timeframe was pushed up after Trubisky was benched after a string of poor games. He did see the field again later, and honestly, he looked ok when he got back into the starting lineup.
While Trubisky doesn’t carry a lot of value to the Steelers, he could still serve in a similar role as he did with Pittsburgh this season. As well, Trubisky seems to have a lot of value on the market, as plenty of teams have been interested in him in the past. His contract isn’t horrible for a transitional starter, so teams in need of a quarterback could bite.
There is a slew of teams that could be looking for a transitional veteran, and they may be willing to part ways with a draft pick to secure Trubisky’s service. Like Green, Trubisky won’t garner a huge draft pick, but the Steelers could still move him for something. It is worth testing the waters to see if there is a willing trade partner for his services.
Kevin Dotson may lose his job with the Steelers
The first two names on this list are very questionable trade targets. Neither will garner huge returns if they are dealt, and there is no guarantee that there will even be a market. Kevin Dotson is a different story. Dotson has been the primary starter at left guard for the past two seasons, and while he hasn’t been perfect, he has flashed at times.
That said, the Steelers may decide to upgrade from him this offseason. The team should be rebuilding the line, and Dotson could be an easy choice to move on from. If a top free agent or early draft pick is used on a new guard, Dotson could quickly become the odd man out. Add in his proven performance escalator increasing his salary and the Steelers may not want him around unless he is starting.
If Pittsburgh decides to leave guard alone this offseason, Dotson’s spot is safe. Assuming they want to get an upgrade there though and Dotson is relegated to backup duty, he could be on the trade block. He could easily net an early day-three pick for a team that needs a plug-and-play guard if the Steelers get an upgrade there.
Steelers may revamp the receiver room
One of the more frustrating Steelers from the 2022 season was Diontae Johnson. Despite getting a new deal in the offseason, he never seemed to gel with the new offense. This culminated in a down season for Johnson where he failed to find the endzone and struggled weekly to be a consistent playmaker.
Receiver is already a need for the Steelers, but they could choose to revamp the group entirely and cut bait with Johnson. While getting rid of playmakers for an up-and-coming quarterback is a bad choice, if this team reinvests with a free-agent receiver and a top rookie, it could make up for it, especially if the price for Johnson is right.
The Steelers certainly won’t cut Johnson based on his contract, and lack of a pressing need to, but if a team were willing to overpay for him, Pittsburgh would be wise to at least listen. I’m not convinced that a deal materializes and what it would ultimately cost to deal him, but the team should be looking out for the best deal for Johnson.
The Steelers don’t have an extremely deep roster right now, but there are still some players that could be dealt. Pittsburgh should be trying to compile as many picks as possible this season. While it takes two to tango, these four Steelers could be shopped around in 2023.