Trade Scenarios Countdown: 5 opportunities for the Steelers to boost their team

Steelers, Donte Jackson
Steelers, Donte Jackson | Grant Halverson/GettyImages
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The NFL Trade Deadline is barely over a week away and lands on the scariest day of the year. It is fitting that Halloween is the destination for this deadline day as some players might be worried about what their future holds with their current employer. At a moment's notice, they could get the "you were just traded" call and have to move wherever they were dealt.

Plenty of teams will be searching for trades to try and upgrade their roster before the deadline hits. The Steelers could potentially be looking to make some moves. It could be a gamble either way as their team is struggling to find consistent footing as they sit at their bye week. They stumbled into first place in their division before the bye, but they need to fix a lot of things before being deemed playoff contenders.

Steelers could add a talented returner before the Trade Deadline

Gunner Olszewski is someone who should be cut because it is unlikely that anyone would want to trade for him. Trying to find a competent returner in the NFL is difficult, especially nowadays as kickoffs seem to never be taken out of the end zone. One name has popped out in the rumor mill lately as we get closer to the deadline day for the entire NFL.

Cordarrelle Patterson is the name to monitor here as he not only has shown to be a quality returner throughout his career, but he also has position flexibility. He started off his career as a receiver, which was not the best position for him. He then transitioned into becoming a running back and that seemed to fit his mold as a player better. He can play both spots.

Patterson is an explosive player with the ball in his hands and the different roles that he can play on a team is valuable. The Steelers could show interest in Patterson and get him for cheap. A late round pick swap would likely work. Trying to fit him into Pittsburgh's cap situation might be tricky as Patterson's current deal will attach him to the cap through 2025. Perhaps a salary retention would help.

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