Pundit Includes Ravens Among Losers of Steelers' Blockbuster Trade
The Pittsburgh Steelers pulled off a blockbuster trade Monday, acquiring cornerback Jalen Ramsey and tight end Jonnu Smith from the Miami Dolphins in exchange for safety Minkah Fitzpatrick.
The move spells trouble for the Steelers' rivals, according to CBS Sports’ Tyler Sullivan, who listed the Ravens and the rest of the AFC North among the losers of the trade.
"The Pittsburgh Steelers are seemingly getting better by the day as we inch closer to training camp, which is bad news for the rest of the AFC North," Sullivan wrote. "Over the last month or so, they've added a future Hall of Fame quarterback [in Aaron Rodgers] and just now traded for a top corner and dynamic tight end to bolster the rest of the roster. Clearly, the Steelers are making these moves to seriously contend in 2025, which makes the road that much more difficult for their division rivals.
"While it may not entirely tip the scales away from teams like the Baltimore Ravens (the betting favorite to win the AFC North) or Cincinnati Bengals, Pittsburgh is no longer a sure-fire win like they were when it was projected that Mason Rudolph could be their starter. On top of the division race heating up, Pittsburgh adding Ramsey and Smith could further put a dent in the overall playoff hopes of Baltimore and Cincinnati, and hurt the chances of any of them rivaling for the No. 1 seed in the conference."
Pro Football Focus' Dalton Wasserman said Ramsey joining Darius Slay and Joey Porter Jr. gives the Steelers perhaps the best cornerback trio in the league.