Trades might not be the most common form of roster construction in the NFL when compared to other professional leagues. That does not mean those deals do not happen, which was proven when the Steelers added Allen Robinson from the LA Rams earlier this offseason. With training camp and the rest of the pre-season in front of them, Pittsburgh could look to make some trades.
There is a possibility that the club could look through the different trade avenues to add to their roster, but they could also look to move players out. The outcomes of certain position battles on the roster will be the guide of Omar Khan and company. The black and gold could trade some players out if their roster spot makes little sense.
It could make sense for the Steelers to trade a former starter on the defensive line
One spot on the defensive side of the ball that could see a notable name be moved is along the defensive line. Montravius Adams took most of the snaps at the nose tackle spot for the defense over the past couple of years. After a strong start to his career in Pittsburgh, things have started to fall in a negative direction since. He could find himself on the move.
Adams will have a chance to retain his nose tackle spot or another depth role, but things look bleak for him. Keeanu Benton, Armon Watts, and Breiden Fehoko will all be battling for playing time this year. The Steelers could let others around the league know that an experienced defensive lineman is on the trade block, which could garner some attention for a deal.
A trade that could make a lot of sense for all parties involved this pre-season
The offensive line is going to be a spot on the roster to monitor when training camp kicks off. Who will be the starters on the offensive line? That is still a mystery at certain positions, even though there are favorites to land the jobs. Even though there will be battles to win a starting spot in the trenches, don't miss the depth spots on the line.
Multiple spots will be up for grabs especially in the interior group as plenty of competition is there. The starters will be Isaac Seumalo, Mason Cole, and James Daniels in the interior of this group. Those behind them like Nate Herbig, Kevin Dotson, Kendrick Green, and others will battle for the last few roster spots this pre-season.
Besides depth at center still being a concern, the depth across the interior of the line is strong. Competition should be fierce, and it could leave a former starter out of the fold when the dust settles. Dotson has been the starting left guard for the Steelers for some time now. He will likely not have his starting spot available anymore with Seumalo in the fold.
Dotson seems to be struggling to find his place with the club right now and that could lead to trade chatter. He has caused for some headaches across the headlines for the team with his claim that Broderick Jones is not ready to start this year. Dotson could make the team easily, but he could fetch a draft pick in a trade to a club that needs an experienced guard to start for them.
If he loses his starting spot on defense, he could ask to be traded out of Pittsburgh
Although there are players on here that could be traded without request this pre-season, there are others that could ask for it. Cornerback is a spot on this team that truly has a lot to figure out come training camp and their upcoming slate of exhibition games. Where will Patrick Peterson end up starting on defense?
That is the biggest question that needs to be answered, if he lands in the slot role, then a lot of things could work themselves out. Joey Porter Jr. is going to start on the outside for the Steelers unless something crazy transpires in camp. Peterson will ideally start in the slot and leave a starting spot opposite of Porter open.
Levi Wallace would be the odds-on favorite to secure that other starting spot opposite of Porter going into camp. If Peterson takes that role, then it is possible that Wallace could ask for a change of scenery to earn a starting gig elsewhere. He is a free agent once this season concludes and could have a variety of ways to lose his starting job in Pittsburgh.
Another issue that Wallace could run into regarding his starting job are some of these other corners. Let's say Peterson does play in the slot, it is still possible that Wallace loses his job to someone that comes out of the shadows. If Wallace cannot keep his starting title, it could make sense for both sides to look at trade avenues.
A couple things would have to go wrong for this Steelers tackle to be shipped out
In what could be the biggest scenario to watch play out in terms of a trade out of Pittsburgh could be a tackle. Dan Moore Jr. will first battle Broderick Jones for the starting spot at left tackle, but it could get interesting if Jones wins. That will force Moore to either slide into a swing tackle role or potentially try his hand at the other side.
It has been highly reported that Moore worked at both sides during his offseason training and could look to make that transition if necessary. If Jones does show early on that he is the answer on the left side, then Moore could jump over to battle Chuks Okorafor for his starting spot at right tackle. It would be some interesting theatre to watch play out.
No one is expecting the possibility of Okorafor being a potential trade option heading into training camp. If Jones is the guy on the left and if Moore can dethrone Okorafor, then it is possible that he could become expendable. He carries a heavy contract and has not been a quality starter, despite holding that title for a while now.
If another depth piece in camp proves to be a good enough swing tackle option, this scenario could even become more likely. There are no guarantees of this happening, but it would make a lot of sense if these certain scenarios played out. Okorafor would be a nice depth piece, like Moore if either loses a starting job, but Okorafor would be a hefty price for a depth guy.