While the Steelers currently sit atop the AFC North, they certainly don’t feel like a great team. This offense has been horrendous, and while the defense has helped win games with big turnovers, they haven’t been consistent. While a 3-2 record looks good, a lot can change between now and the trade deadline.
Pittsburgh will play in two more games before the trade deadline on Halloween, and neither are gimmes. They travel to the Rams after the bye before hosting the Jaguars the week after. Neither game will be easy, and the rest of the AFC North is beginning to wake up.
The Ravens looked good in their loss, and likely would have won had their receivers stopped dropping passes. The Bengals are finding their stride as well, and it looks like they are getting back to their dominant ways. Cleveland is a mess amidst some more Deshaun Watson drama, but they have shown the ability to win this year with him at the helm.
If the problems aren’t fixed coming out of the bye week and the rest of the division continues on their uptrend, the Steelers should be sellers at the deadline. Even if they are still in the mix but the offensive issues aren’t solved, this team will be at least a year away from competing.
It would be a rare thing to see, but unless this team shows something after the buy week, this season will be another struggle for an average record. Instead, compiling some additional assets for players that may not be long-term fixtures is logical. While I don’t expect this team to be sellers, here are five superstars the Steelers could trade away before the trade deadline if their struggles continue.
Steelers could trade away Patrick Peterson
The Patrick Peterson signing has gone about as well as I expected it to. After losing Cameron Sutton early in free agency, the Steelers signed the veteran in hopes that he could replace the flexible and talented Sutton. This was a bold ask, as Peterson is at the tail end of his career and didn’t really fit what the defense wanted to do.
The results have been as expected. Peterson has made some fine plays in coverage, but overall his skills have been tested and he has failed to live up to his contract. While he hasn’t been the worse of the two primary starters, as that distinction goes to Levi Wallace, Peterson has struggled to be a true top cornerback for this team.
While it is slightly rare for a player to sign with a team and then be dealt, the Steelers could likely still get some value for Peterson. If a team needed an experienced and savvy veteran presence in their locker room, a trade would make sense, as Peterson can provide that, especially on more of a zone defense.
Pittsburgh would have an easy replacement lined up for Ptereson as well. Joey Porter finally saw an expanded role against the Ravens, and he played well. While Wallace is the weakest link for the defense, he also has no trade value. If Pittsburgh opts to be sellers, Peterson should have a decent market of teams interested in him.
Steelers could trade Diontae Johnson
Diontae Johnson has to be one of the more underrated players on this Steelers team. While receivers are constantly becoming bigger voices on teams, Johnson has remained a more quiet and focused player. All of this even though he has unfairly labeled bad hands (they are very average by NFL standards) and an offense that limits his receiving ability.
Johnson was set for a bounceback year after lackluster stats and no touchdowns a season ago. He was injured in week one though, and appears set to return to this offense following the bye week. While this offense could use an influx of talent, there is no guarantee that Johnson will pick up where he left off. Even if he does and this offense is still limiting this team, he could be traded.
Receivers are a premium position right now for teams in a pass-happy NFL. Being three or four deep with notable names isn’t uncommon as teams look to keep up with some of the elite offenses like the Chiefs. Despite not playing for most of this season, Johnson would still have value.
He is also on a relatively cheap deal. While many scoffed when he signed his short extension a few seasons ago, landing a starting receiver for under 20 million a season was a smart move. Other teams would view him as a relatively cheap asset considering his current contract.
If Johnson has a solid two games off the bye and the Steelers still find themselves as sellers at the deadline, he would make a lot of sense to deal. The team could net a decent package of picks for him and still have a capable receiver in George Pickens.
Steelers could trade Larry Ogunjobi
Larry Ogunjobi has been a weird addition for the Steelers. Added to the roster shortly after Stephon Tuitt retired, the expectation was for Ogunjobi to be an impact playmaker on the defensive line as he had been before his injury. He wasn’t really that though last year, as it seemed like he was still recovering from an injury and late to pick up on some aspects for the team.
Surprisingly, the Steelers inked Ogunjobi to a sizable deal despite these issues in the offseason in the hopes that he would return to form. While his play has certainly improved, he still hasn’t gotten back to his pre-injury form quite yet. To be frank, he hasn’t been the replacement for Tuitt that this team seemingly envisioned him being.
That isn’t to say that Ogunjobi is playing poorly, he isn’t, but it may be the fact that he isn’t in the best scheme for this defense. Ogunjobi played his best football as a defensive tackle in a 4-3. He used his athleticism to slip by interior linemen and apply pressure. He has seen more matchups with tackles in the Steelers defense though, and the results haven’t been as strong.
If Pittsburgh decides to sell at the deadline, Ogunjobi makes a lot of sense to be moved. His contract would be easy for another team to take on and in the right situation, he could return to his impactful form. It would be another blow to the defensive line depth, but trading Ogunjobi makes sense for an out-of-it Steelers team.
Steelers could trade Najee Harris
The Steelers spent the majority of their offseason building up their rushing offense. From a revamp on the offensive line to adding some more physical tight ends and receivers, the goal seemed to be for the team to lean on the ground as it had in the second half of last season, a period that was successful for this team.
At least that seemed to be the plan until week one. From there, the offense reverted back to its limited self from a year ago. In addition to this, the running game has been very hit-or-miss, and more often than not it has only been a miss. Najee Harris hasn’t been perfect, but the scheme and blocking haven’t done him many favors.
With these offensive struggles evident, the argument could be made that Jaylen Warren should be used more as he provides a better complement for this offense. While Harris wins with a grueling power style, Warren makes quicker decisions and runs with more burst. Harris is good for wearing a defense out when you have the lead; Warren is better for big plays and an up-tempo offense.
If this team falls out of it over the next few weeks, Harris makes the most sense to be traded. A team in need of a power rusher could look his way, and the Steelers could see what Warren can do with a full workload. Harris also has up to two years left on his rookie deal, which makes him even more appealing to teams. If Pittsburgh decides to be sellers, Harris could fetch a reasonable return in a trade.
Steelers could trade Cameron Heyward
There is no more logical trade chip on the Steelers, assuming they decide to sell at the deadline and build for the future than Cameron Heyward. While Heyward has been a stalwart for this team and is among the franchise greats along the defensive line, his career is almost over, and he won’t have a shot at a Super Bowl with this current roster.
Heyward has been a fixture on this defense for the past ten seasons. He is a fierce run defender and can bully blockers in the pass game. While I am not arguing against his play, the fact of the matter is, that Heyward is old and coming off a groin injury. Even if he returns at full strength, his time with the Steelers is almost out.
Trading him now would likely be for less than you would want, but keeping Heyward on a rebuilding unit also doesn’t make sense. Even if the turnaround was within a season or two, Heyward would be too old to still be a factor.
If this team decides to sell some assets at the deadline and rebuild, Heyward won’t have a logical home on the roster. Instead, even if it isn’t for the top capital you may want, Pittsburgh would be wise to trade him away and recoup something for him now.
While the 3-2 record is good enough for now, this team needs to correct its flaws during the bye week. If they don’t and the team opts to sell some players at the trade deadline, these five stars make the most sense to be on the chopping block.