Sitting at 6-2 at the NFL trade deadline, and coming off three good wins, the Pittsburgh Steelers decided to add. Pittsburgh traded for WR Mike Williams and OLB Preston Smith as they bolster their team in an attempt to make a playoff run.
One person who is very happy with the additions is OLB T.J. Watt. On WMBS’ Sportsline, Watt was asked by George Von Benko about his thoughts on the trades and what it meant that the Steelers went out and added some key players.
“It’s awesome,” said Watt. “It means we’re competing, we’re doing some things right. And we brought in some weapons with Mike Williams and Preston Smith. And just to be able to have P [Preston] in the outside linebacker room watching him from afar, he’s been doing it at a high level for a long time, so I’m excited to have him as part of our rotation.”
For the first time since 2020, the Steelers seem like a real contender. Yes, at the midway point last year Pittsburgh was 5-3, but this year feels different. Last year did not feel sustainable and all three of the Steelers’ losses were blowouts, while they squeaked out all of their wins. This year, they have blown out three teams and their two losses have come by a combined six points.
This year’s team seems more sustainable and they deserve the addition of Williams and Smith. Williams should help Pittsburgh continue taking the top off defenses and force them to respect the passing attack. Smith will help provide rotation for Watt and OLB Alex Highsmith.
Smith has had a quiet season with only 2.5 sacks and 19 tackles, but he isn’t being asked to be a double digit sack guy for Pittsburgh. Smith has tallied at least eight sacks the past three seasons, and that is something the Steelers love in a back up rotational player. Pittsburgh got burned last year in the playoffs without Watt, so bringing in a player like Smith who has a pedigree is big. Smith is a high end rotational piece and injury insurance.
Williams has struggled this year with the New York Jets, catching only 12 passes for 166 yards, but he never was able to gel in the Jets quick passing game. He should do much better with the QB Russell Wilson and his uber-effective deep ball.
While neither Williams nor Smith are league shattering moves, they show the Steelers front office belief in this year’s team. Pittsburgh got good players who will provide help for the stretch run. They aren’t world class, but they are needed if they are going to survive the gauntlet back half of the year and hopefully make a playoff run.
