With the Steelers’ 2023 regular season underway following a disappointing year that came up just short of reaching the playoffs, it’s time to start finding out whether or not the answers to last year’s questions are on the roster, tested all throughout training camp and the preseason.
Both sides of the ball got key additions through both free agency and the draft, with new starters, including potentially rookies, amounting to half a dozen or more. The offensive line, the linebackers, and the secondary were all key targets since last year. But what will they look like?
These sorts of uncertainties are what I will look to address in our Buy or Sell series. In each installment, I will introduce a topic statement and weigh some of the arguments for either buying it (meaning that you agree with it or expect it to be true) or selling it (meaning you disagree with it or expect it to be false).
Topic Statement: The Steelers should be active buyers at the trade deadline.
Explanation: The trade deadline is now less than a week away, ending on Halloween. Around this time last year, the Steelers were selling, dealing WR Chase Claypool to the Chicago Bears for a second-round pick. Needless to say, that worked out pretty well, but by and large, Pittsburgh has its core in place. They are reloading, not rebuilding.
Buy:
It doesn’t have to be a splash move, but there’s never a bad time to add talent to your roster. General manager Omar Khan has seemingly managed to find the more advantageous offers, and deadlines spur action. The Steelers aren’t in a desperate spot, so they are more likely to find the desperate team willing to sell low.
One type of player that the Steelers should be targeting is a developmental piece that could become a fixture next year. They may not need an immediate contributor, but depth will thin out by 2024 at positions like the defensive line, wide receiver and cornerback. Those areas and others might make sense to reinforce now rather than later if you can add a talent on a cheap deal—even flipping mid- or late-round picks, as they did when they dealt Kevin Dotson.
Sell:
Take a look up and down the roster and ask yourself: What exactly do the Steelers reasonably need? And then ask yourself, how likely is it that they can get that at a good price on the trade market? They may not have superstars at every position, but they do have contributors and depth, especially with younger players getting more opportunities to play.
Last year at the deadline they got a washed-up cornerback who never even played for them in CB William Jackson III. Most teams are selling off damaged goods. I don’t see any team in a fire-sale position right now that is just trying to stockpile draft capital, and the Steelers are in no position to offset cheap compensation by taking on large contracts. They may not be sellers, but they really have no business being buyers right now, either.
