The Pittsburgh Steelers have quite the luxury on defense at the outside linebacker position. Once Alex Highsmith left the Chargers game with a groin injury, second-year edge defender Nick Herbig stepped in and made a couple of game-changing plays.
For many, the need at wide receiver rushed them to the logic that the Steelers could eventually trade Highsmith for a high-profile receiver. Rumors of players such as Davante Adams or DeAndre Hopkins being available at the Week 8 deadline have Steelers fans salivating at the possibilities.
This is where I disclaim and say I hear both sides of the argument and am personally comfortable with whatever the Steelers decide to do.
We've seen the defense struggle with only having two quality edge rushers before Herbig's arrival (technically Markus Golden broke that trend first, but I digress). But, on the other hand, we can all see that the Steelers' offense is rock solid and is just missing that second option at receiver to open things up a bit more.
It just goes to show, you can't have it all in the NFL.
However, the Steelers front office has to begin to consider which is more valuable to this team - Alex Highsmith and three great edge rushers or another wide receiver working to bolster the offense.
The argument for Highsmith is simple, patiently waiting for his groin injury to resolve and allowing the trio to become progressively problematic for the rest of the league is a safe and wise decision. There's little chance for an immediate backfire outside of the unpredictable, i.e. another injury.
However, the argument in favor of trading Highsmith has some beef to it.
Why the Steelers May Consider Trading Alex Highsmith Before the Deadline
First things first, this is not the first groin injury Highsmith has had. Further, groin injuries, like all soft tissue injuries, are fickle and are difficult to come back from reliably. Rush back too quickly and Highsmith's season could end prematurely. Be too patient with it and watch the clock tick away on the season while the risk of severe injury looms.
Presumably, the play of Nick Herbig will be sustained. Sure, teams will get better prepared for him as he stacks his numbers, but the athletic gifts he possesses coupled with the knowledge he has clearly gained from studying under TJ Watt shows tons of promise.
If Herbig sustains his play and a third edge in the form of Jeremiah Moon, DeMarvin Leal or a free agent signing gives competent relief, the Steelers may have to look at that contract Highsmith signed last year and decide if an even trade for a stud receiver is worth the effort.
The Steelers are 3-0, and it's largely because of their conservative play on the field. However, the aggressive nature of Omar Khan's handling of the roster is what allows the Steelers to play conservatively so well.
Consider too, the offense does still need that help. The Steelers' defense will not only still be top-5 in the NFL without Highsmith, if the second half of Sunday's game is any indication, it may well be better.
Highsmith has been a fine player, and there is certainly no rush to push him out of the door for a player who has yet to make an NFL start. But the Steelers have to take a close look at their roster and determine if a move is right for the team, financially, talent-wise, and for the long and short-term standing of the team.