The Pittsburgh Steelers have been active at the NFL trade deadline in recent years, adding and trading away various players during November. From Chase Claypool to Mike Williams and even William Jackson (remember him?), this team isn’t afraid to make moves to improve their roster.
It appears to be no different this year, as the Steelers are gearing up to make another move.
Reports have been consistent that the Steelers are sniffing around the receiver market, which appears flush with options. From top names like Chris Olave and Jaylen Waddle to lower-end names like Allen Lazard, plenty of receiver talent could be on the move.
If you listen to Steelers legend Ben Roethlisberger, though, a trade like this makes no sense. When you really dig into his comments, he makes a lot of valid points.
Pittsburgh Steelers legend Ben Roethlisberger hits the nail on the head with recent Steelers trade talks
His reasoning is simple: the Steelers offense isn’t the issue right now. The run game is opening up, and the passing game is doing what it is supposed to do. Aaron Rodgers has been efficient as a passer and is consistently leading this offense to points.
Roethlisberger sums this up perfectly on his Footbahlin podcast when he says, “Would another receiver come in and be helpful? Yeah, but it’s not like we’re throwing the ball all over the field.”
You honestly have the perfect Arthur Smith offense right now. D.K. Metcalf is your clear top dog, and you have a deep rotation of tight ends to supplement this receiver room. Add in a returning Calvin Austin, and suddenly this offense seems fine.
Frankly put, Austin's return is an underrated aspect of this offense. He is the perfect second option in this offense. He is a big play threat who makes the most of his opportunities. With so many other options, you don’t need a big-name number two.
If you add a top name like Jakobi Meyers or Olave, they aren’t going to have a huge role on offense. Add in their contract demands and cost to acquire, and the trade doesn’t make a lot of sense on paper.
A lower-end name is more valid to boost your depth in case of injury, but we saw last year what happens when you bargain shop for receiver talent from other teams. Mike Williams failed to amount to anything during his half a year with the team.
Why waste the draft capital? Kick the tires on Tyler Lockett if you feel that desperate for receiver depth. That said, Roethlisberger finally said the quiet part out loud to Steelers fans. A big-name receiver trade doesn’t make sense, and a low-end trade is pointless.