With the trade deadline upon us, the Pittsburgh Steelers are in the midst of a flurry of rumors involving new players. While talks seem to center around adding a major piece at receiver, there is no shortage as to the number of players being mocked to Pittsburgh right now.
For the most part, I would say I’m against another trade occurring. Adding another receiver seems pointless given how this offense flows.
Outside of a few uncommon targets that have more long-term benefits as opposed to immediate help, I just don’t see the need to give up resources right now.
One position that could use a new face is cornerback, though. While trading for a new name seems unlikely given the names currently in the room, adding another capable body is an underrated need.
Thankfully, the Steelers have a clear target. Better yet, they wouldn’t even have to trade for him, as Asante Samuel Jr. is currently a free agent.
The Pittsburgh Steelers would be wise to sign Asante Samuel Jr.
Despite the numerous offseason additions at cornerback, the position still needs some help. While we saw the group perform well against the Colts, the unit as a whole feels like it is on shaky ground.
One move that looked really good was moving Jalen Ramsey to safety. He looked like a major force there in his first game dedicated to the position, and it would be foolish to move him back to cornerback right now.
That leaves Joey Porter Jr. and Darius Slay as your starters. Porter has his lumps, but he is easily the best cornerback on the roster right now. Slay has been another story. While he still is the next best option with Ramsey at safety, his play has been lacking overall.
Oh, and let’s not forget how easily injured he is.
In addition to poor play, Slay also seemingly misses 25 percent of the games he plays in with nagging injuries. This has forced Brandon Echols (who is also playing in the slot) as well as James Pierre into action as outside cornerbacks.
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Echols has been good this year, and while Pierre has been better than usual on defense, he always feels like a player who does worse with the more opportunities that he has.
Samuel would give this team three strong options again at outside cornerback. For his part, Samuel looked like an ascending player during his time with the Chargers.
A neck injury accompanied with a tough surgery in the offseason has kept him off a roster so far. However, he has posted videos seemingly back to full health. Signing him now gives him a change to integrate himself back into the game before there is a desperate need for help.
Beyond just his play, Slay feels like a ticking bomb in terms of his ability to stay healthy enough to finish out the season. That turns one of the deeper positions on the roster into a razor-thin one. Samuel can cure those woes.
He could also throw his name in the ring for a long-term job, given the impending need at outside cornerback. At the very least, some strong practices and a few decent games could land him an extension to be the second cornerback next year.
You wouldn’t have to trade any draft picks, and given we are halfway through the season, he would likely be a cheap addition. This would be a win-win for both sides, as Samuel could ramp up before being counted on. As for the Steelers, you get some stronger depth at cornerback with a potential upgrade in Samuel down the road.