The Pittsburgh Steelers once again appear to be buyers at the trade deadline, and speculation is rampant about who they will ultimately add. Receiver talk has been looming all year, and given the current struggles on defense, it seems like another member of the secondary could also be brought in.
Despite the rumors and needs, there aren’t a lot of great fits for either position. While receiver names are numerous, most are either on expiring deals or lower-end options that don’t move the needle. We saw what happened last year when they added a receiver like that in Mike Williams.
The secondary is scarce. It would be hard to justify trading for a cornerback given the talent on their roster. Kyle Dugger makes trading for another safety nonsensical.
That said, the Steelers may have just found the perfect candidate to trade for in Brian Thomas Jr.
Reports surfaced that the Jaguars were willing to shop the former first-round pick, and it isn’t hard to see why. He has had a lot of issues in his second season, and Jacksonville may cut bait, even if they claim that they won’t trade him away.
The Pittsburgh Steelers would be a logical home for Brian Thomas Jr.
While I still contend that receiver isn’t the biggest need for the Steelers, adding a talent like Thomas would be hard to turn down. Pittsburgh had plenty of interest in him a season ago, but ultimately drafted Troy Fautanu in the first round instead.
Thomas took the league by storm as a rookie and appeared to be a legitimate top threat early in his career. Concentration and drop issues this year have caused quite a few questions to surface about the former LSU prospect.
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So why add a player like Thomas over any of the other names being tossed around right now? Simply put, he can help you for the long haul, as he is only in the second year of his rookie deal.
It harkens back to the Minkah Fitzpatrick deal from a few seasons ago. Fitzpatrick had a similar fast start to his career, but regressed in Miami. Despite not being a true contender, the Steelers dealt for him and instantly benefited, as well as having a long-term key defender.
While I’m skeptical that the Steelers can compete this year, and I don’t believe receiver is the biggest need on the roster right now, having the opportunity to land Thomas is huge.
It all depends on the price, but if you can get a young and potentially elite receiver on his rookie deal for a fair price, the Steelers need to capitalize.