The NFL trade deadline has come and gone, and the Pittsburgh Steelers ultimately decided not to make any moves to improve their current roster. For weeks, NFL insiders speculated that Pittsburgh could get aggressive ahead of the deadline, particularly when it came to adding help at wide receiver. However, Omar Khan once again stood pat, leaving the team's receiving corps without any new additions.
One possible reason behind the decision is that the Steelers didn't want to give up valuable draft capital, especially with the possibility of targeting a quarterback in April's NFL Draft. However, that reasoning raises some questions when considering the direction the organization took this past offseason.
Pittsburgh made several moves that suggested it was ready to make one more push to win now, including bringing back Aaron Rodgers and hiring head coach Mike McCarthy, along with other roster additions designed to help the team compete immediately.
And it wasn't just the wide receiver position that could have used some attention. While the offense could benefit from another reliable pass catcher, the defense also had an opportunity to add depth and versatility to its secondary. Patrick Graham has done an outstanding job with this defensive unit, but there are still areas that opposing offenses could exploit, particularly against some of the better quarterbacks on the upcoming schedule.
With injuries continuing to impact the wide receiver room and questions remaining about the secondary, the Steelers passed on multiple opportunities to strengthen the roster. The front office may have its reasons for holding onto its draft capital, but with the organization branding itself as a team ready to win now, will standing pat at the trade deadline come back to haunt Pittsburgh down the stretch?
Pittsburgh Steelers WR injuries could make the lack of WR trade look terrible
Michael Pittman Jr. and Roman Wilson remain on injured reserve, leaving the Steelers with DK Metcalf, Germie Bernard, Brandon Smith, and Brandon Johnson as their primary wide receivers over the past couple of weeks. Pittman's injury is a tricky one, and there is still uncertainty surrounding when he will be able to return.
Wilson could be back relatively soon, while Ben Skowronek, who has also been sidelined, could potentially return as well. However, Skowronek is primarily a special teams contributor rather than someone who can consistently make an impact in the passing game.
If Pittman and Wilson remain out for another few weeks, the Steelers could find themselves in serious trouble if either Metcalf or Bernard suffers an injury. We've seen how quickly this offense can struggle when its receiving depth takes a hit.
In previous seasons, Omar Khan failed to adequately address the position when George Pickens went down with an injury, and last season, Metcalf's suspension also exposed the lack of reliable options behind him. Why put the offense in a similar position again?
Perhaps the front office has a better understanding of Pittman and Wilson's recovery timelines and expects both to return sooner rather than later. But even if that's the case, wouldn't it have made sense to take a chance on another legitimate depth piece who could provide insurance in case things don't go according to plan?
To this point, the Steelers' offensive approach has been working, and perhaps the organization didn't want to disrupt something that wasn't broken. However, as Pittsburgh enters the second half of its schedule, the competition is only going to get tougher. Matchups against the Bengals, Broncos, and Jaguars, along with a Texans team that could get hot at any moment, will test this offense in different ways.
If any of those teams can slow down Pittsburgh's rushing attack, the Steelers will need their passing game to step up. Unfortunately, we've seen that this receiving corps doesn't necessarily have the depth or firepower to consistently keep up in a shootout.
The teams that make deep postseason runs are often the ones that stay healthy and have enough depth to withstand injuries. If the Steelers were truly as committed to winning now as their offseason moves suggested, finding a way to add another pass catcher should have been a priority.
Holding onto draft capital is understandable, especially with the possibility of addressing the quarterback position in next year's draft, but late Day 2 and Day 3 picks haven't always translated into reliable contributors under Omar Khan's regime. Sometimes, you have to be willing to part with draft capital to improve your chances of winning now.
Ultimately, the Steelers are taking a gamble by standing pat at wide receiver. Hopefully, Pittman and Wilson return soon, and the current group stays healthy. Otherwise, another season of questionable roster management could come back to haunt this organization when it matters most.
The defense could have used another cornerback
With a new coaching regime in place, Patrick Graham has been an outstanding hire for Mike McCarthy and has done wonders for the Steelers' defense. Pittsburgh has established itself as one of the better defensive units in the NFL, but that doesn't mean the roster is without its weaknesses.
Just as the front office failed to address the lack of depth at wide receiver before the trade deadline, there was also an opportunity to strengthen a secondary that could use another quality cornerback. One weakness that has continued to show up is the defense's ability to consistently defend certain passing attacks, and with tougher opponents ahead, that could become an even bigger concern.
Since trading Joey Porter Jr., the Steelers have leaned heavily on zone coverage because they simply don't have the same personnel to consistently match up in man coverage. Porter gave Pittsburgh the size, length, and physicality to challenge opposing receivers, but without him, the coaching staff has been more reluctant to trust its corners in those situations.
That could become a problem during the second half of the schedule. Some of the quarterbacks Pittsburgh is preparing to face have the ability to pick apart soft zone coverage, particularly the bend-but-don't-break approach the Steelers have relied on throughout the season.
While that strategy has worked against certain opponents, the better quarterbacks on the schedule could expose its limitations. The defense needs to be more versatile and find ways to mix in man coverage rather than allowing opposing offenses to consistently attack the same looks. Unfortunately, the trade deadline came and went without Pittsburgh addressing that need.
One potential name the Steelers could have explored was Riq Woolen of the Eagles. Woolen is a tall, long cornerback with the physical traits to play man coverage and offers a similar frame to what Pittsburgh had with Porter. Although he hasn't necessarily lived up to the expectations of his contract, Philadelphia was reportedly open to moving more players, and Woolen could have been an interesting buy-low opportunity if the asking price was reasonable.
Adding a cornerback with Woolen's physical tools would have given Graham another option and allowed the defense to become less predictable. Having the personnel to comfortably switch between man and zone coverage would make this unit even more difficult for opposing offensive coordinators to scheme against. It also would have provided some much-needed insurance in case another injury hit an already important position group.
At the end of the day, it's the same argument as the wide receiver position. The Steelers have a talented defense, but that doesn't mean there aren't areas that could use improvement. Adding another quality cornerback would have provided more depth, flexibility and insurance heading into the tougher portion of the schedule. Instead, Pittsburgh once again chose to hold onto its draft capital rather than address a potential weakness before it becomes a bigger problem.
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