Traps the Steelers must avoid during the 2023 offseason

Steelers need to avoid the preseason trades

It had become an almost regular occurrence in recent years that the Steelers would part way with day three picks in exchange for some depth players as the season got close. The team felt like their roster was lacking somewhere, so they flipped picks for a backup they felt could help stabilize the position.

While these moves rarely cost much, they also haven’t yielded anything in recent years. Malik Reed, Ahkello Witherspoon, and Jesse Davis were all added on trades like this, and none of these players ultimately contributed much, nor are they expected to be around for the long term. The cost wasn’t great to bring them in, but it has still been a relative waste of resources.

The Steelers should be more willing to utilize the free-agent market as opposed to the trade market. This won’t yield better game results more than likely, but it will lead to the team having more of their mid-round picks. These trades haven’t been very fruitful, and it makes sense for the team to fill out their depth needs in other ways instead.