After the Pittsburgh Steelers made no moves on trade deadline day, their weaknesses will continue to be exposed. Many thought General Manager Omar Khan would solve some lingering problems on the roster before the deadline passed, but he decided to sit on his hands. The Steelers’ roster has several flaws that could be exposed as the season continues.
Darius Slay has become a persistent problem for Pittsburgh as their defensive struggles have resurfaced recently.
Although they performed well against the Indianapolis Colts, Slay continued to demonstrate that he may not be suited for a starting role. It has forced backup Brandin Echols into action. Injuries have become a major concern for Slay this year, putting the team in difficult situations.
James Pierre has played in limited action, but he has appeared more stable of an option than Slay at this point. The long-time starter seems to be much closer to the conclusion of his professional career rather than turning things around with the Steelers. He should be relieved Khan didn't acquire a cornerback before the trade deadline, as it could've marked the beginning of the end.
Pittsburgh Steelers CB Darius Slay is running out of time after the trade deadline
Barring a miracle of someone emerging out of the shadows of the depth chart, the Steelers have no other choice but to roll with Slay. They must accept the punches that swing across their jaw every time a quarterback sees a receiver lined up one-on-one with him. It's a hard truth to accept, but Slay has been terrible, rivaling Patrick Peterson when he spent time in Pittsburgh.
READ MORE: Steelers’ boring trade deadline strategy could come back to haunt them
Mike Tomlin is known for targeting older, inexpensive players, but that approach isn’t a reliable strategy when addressing the secondary. The NFL is a fast league, and its receivers and tight ends only continue to get quicker. Having an old cornerback or set of safeties to defend speedsters is not the answer.
Experience is great to have, but it's worthless if your body can't compete.
Slay remains cemented into a starting spot for the Steelers, and it appears they don't have a solution to replace him. Cory Trice would've been a potential fix, but he cannot find a way to stay healthy. Unless Khan somehow signs someone like Asante Samuel Jr., there are no options out there who could solve the woes caused by an aging secondary after the trade deadline.
The worst part about the Slay situation is that Khan could've possibly found a solution on the trade market.
It wouldn't have been easy, but maybe there would have been a move where you send Slay out of town for a different cornerback who is also in the doghouse. A change of scenery can do wonders, but just sticking with a formula that continues to fail will eventually lead to a divorce.