With the recent news coming out Sunday morning about the Pittsburgh Steelers receiving and engaging phone calls about teams inquiring about the availability of EDGE Melvin Ingram, the possibility that the team could make a move before the November 2 trade deadline has cracked open. Now, the actual chances of a trade actually occurring before next week Tuesday involving the Pittsburgh Steelers may be slim, the fact that the team reportedly showed interest in then-FA Whitney Mercilus before he signed with the Green Bay Packers, this suggests that a potential Ingram deal could realistically come together if Pittsburgh felt they had a suitable replacement on the way while gaining another asset.
So, the question remains whether Pittsburgh, if they do decide to be active before the trade deadline, would be more likely buyers or sellers? Several names have been brought up in recent weeks as potential trade candidates that the team could ship off for either potential draft compensation or potentially another piece at a position of need. TE Eric Ebron had his contract restructured this offseason but given a drop in snaps in recent weeks and overall role in the offense, it isn’t improbable that he could be swapped for a late-round pick.
WR James Washington reportedly requested a trade earlier this season due to lack of play time. Once JuJu Smith-Schuster went down for the season, it appeared that Washington’s role would increase. However, his snaps and role have yet to see a sizable increase in recent weeks, and with the emergence of Cody White and the addition of Anthony Miller to the practice squad, Washington could be a name that could be dealt to replenish the cupboards of mid-to-late round draft capital Pittsburgh has since traded away. CB Joe Haden has been rumored as a veteran who could get traded away to another contender but given the Steelers sitting at 3-3 and clearly in the thick of the playoff hunt, this scenario seems unlikely.
Can Pittsburgh play the role of buyers before the trade deadline? Normally, the team likes to stay pact with what they have or make an addition via free agency, but GM Kevin Colbert has shown that he is willing to buck historical trends as of late including the in-season trade of a first round pick for S Minkah Fitzpatrick a couple seasons ago, signing multiple free agents this offseason from outside the organization like G Trai Turner and Ingram (who is over the infamous age of 30) and making multiple trades for guys like LB Joe Schobert and CB Ahkello Witherspoon prior to the start of the season.
Needless to say, Colbert has shown that he is willing to pull out all the stops the last couple of years in order to put Pittsburgh in the best chance to compete for a playoff push. While the team may not have a ton of draft capital left, Colbert and Tomlin are not ones to throw in the towel, and if they think there is a move to be made to help their chances to make the playoffs or win the AFC North, they will at least explore it. Maybe it’s acquiring another defensive back to add depth to the unit, or possibly add a young offensive lineman that becomes available that can help this season and potentially solidify the unit going forward.
Regardless, Pittsburgh has plenty of options on the table, whether it be buying, selling, or simply holding with the guys that they have in-house. The next few days will be interesting as to whether any other dominos fall around the league that could affect Pittsburgh and provoke them to make a move. One thing is for sure though. If the phones start ringing in Pittsburgh the next week, they will be picking them up at least to hear what the team on the other end has to say.
What are your thoughts on the possibility of Pittsburgh being player prior to the trade deadline? Do you think they could be buyers, sellers, or sit back through it all? Who could they have eyes on to acquire outside the organization or who could they look to send away to add assets? Please leave your thoughts in the comments section below and thanks again for reading!
