Buy Or Sell: The Steelers will trade for a starter by the end of the 2024 NFL Draft.
Explanation: The specuporters are at it again, shouting into existence the idea that the Steelers are on the cusp of a trade. The latest is Jason La Canfora claiming that there’s a good chance they trade for a wide receiver. He claims it could happen as soon as today or even during the draft. But let’s not forget they need a center, arguably more than they need a receiver.
Buy:
We can’t take every report as gospel, especially since they’re occasionally contradicting each other. But we don’t need reports to see the Steelers’ recent trade record. They’ve already made three trades, including for a starting cornerback in Donte Jackson.
The Steelers also traded for WR Allen Robinson II last year, making him 2-for-2 in trading for a starter. The thing that makes me most confident this happens is the breadth of issues they need to address. It’s hard to see how they satisfactorily address all of their needs strictly through the draft.
For example, I don’t see them landing a starting tackle, center, and wide receiver all in one draft class. They’re going to need to land one via trade, and wide receiver is the most likely. The free agent center market was too rich for their blood, but perhaps a trade option develops.
Sell:
While the Steelers are still making moves, they’re unlikely to make any more big ones before the draft. Unless a golden opportunity falls into their lap, they’re far more likely to wait until after the draft to consider things like trading for a starter.
Jason La Canfora doesn’t always seem to have the most reliable information. At the very least, he is more willing to report things that are legitimate possibilities that are less likely to happen. I think his latest report about the Steelers’ interest in trading for a wide receiver falls in that category. They’re not trading for Brandon Aiyuk, folks, even if he is Mike Tomlin’s long-lost son.
With the Steelers’ 2023 season in the rearview mirror following a disappointing year that came up short in the playoffs once again, it’s time to start asking more questions. Questions about the team’s future in 2024 and beyond. Questions about The Standard.
The rookie class of a year ago was, on the whole, impressive, but they need to step up into staple starters in 2024. And they likely need a strong influx of talent in both free agency and in the 2024 NFL draft yet again. In addition to a revisitation of the coaching staff.
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).
