With a strong record heading into the bye week, the Steelers were unsurprising buyers ahead of the annual trade deadline. The speculation was heavily on whether the team would finally land a receiver, and an unsurprising name ended up joining the squad in Mike Williams. That wasn’t the only move by Pittsburgh though, as they also announced a trade for veteran edge rusher Preston Smith shortly after.
The Williams move garnered a lot of buzz and for obvious reasons. Receiver was arguably the Steelers biggest need, and the team has had an interest in Williams since the offseason. With his role on the Jets diminishing, Williams was in need of a new role elsewhere. He didn’t come as cheap as I thought though, as the team sent a fifth-round pick to acquire him.
Smith was the more cut-and-dry addition, even if fans were more surprised by his addition. The Steelers gave up a seventh-round pick for him, which is essentially nothing. The Packers no longer had a good role for him and were going to cut him in the offseason, so they flipped him for something.
Steelers already look like geniuses
Both players played a significant role in their first Steelers game, and those roles seem primed to continue to grow. Williams had a memorable first catch against the Commanders, as he grabbed the game-winning reception. Considering the injury to Calvin Austin, Williams seems primed to see his role grow.
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As for Smith, he logged a surprising 36% of the defensive snaps, and he even recorded a sack. Like Williams, his role is likely to grow. Alex Highsmith was injured in this game, and Nick Herbig is still getting healthy. There is a real chance that Smith is starting next week across from T.J. Watt.
Deadline trades have a tendency to not work out, especially for the Steelers in recent years. However, both of their additions popped in their first week with the team. Those roles are only going to continue to grow it seems, making the investment in both players that much wiser.
Williams will likely be feast or famine still, but a few big plays will make him worth the draft pick. Smith has a chance to really prove his worth though, as he can maintain a high level of play at edge rusher despite the low cost to bring him in. I was skeptical of the team adding anyone at the deadline, but both moves seem to be paying early dividends for the team.