While the Steelers are battling injuries, the rest of the AFC North has been depleted by them as well, which Brian Batko believes encourages them to go for it. Last year, the team made some moves at the trade deadline to bolster its chances of making a push. Perhaps even more so this year, the Steelers have a chance to make a run at a home playoff game.
The biggest target area for the Steelers as a subject for upgrade has been wide receiver. They had previously offered some indications of hoping to upgrade there, but up to now have not. Right now, Calvin Austin III is sidelined, and he did not rule out a stint on the Reserve/Injured List.
“The longer the Steelers ride this success streak while the rest of the division plummets, the urge to push more chips in the middle is real”, Batko argued in his latest chat session. “Sort of like last year. I suppose my only words of wisdom would be to bring in reinforcements who are bit more helpful than Mike Williams and Preston Smith”.
As he points out, the Steelers made some depth moves last season with Williams and Smith. Neither contributed significantly, though Williams caught a game-winning touchdown pass in his debut. It’s hard to argue they got sufficient value out of either one, and they certainly didn’t help them win a playoff game.
Still, even with Batko’s comment, he wouldn’t put the chances of the Steelers trading for a wide receiver up to 50 percent. And he’s not alone in that, as his colleague, Ray Fittipaldo, doesn’t think so, either. They often work in the shadows, however—nobody was counting on them trading Minkah Fitzpatrick or adding Jalen Ramsey. Not even the Dolphins.
The NFL trade deadline is after Week 9, in the first week of November, so the Steelers still have plenty of time to make moves, if they so chose. Overall, it seems as though they feel good about the roster they put together, however. The wide receiver depth could be stronger, but this isn’t an offense that calls for a robust group there.
Realistically, I don’t know that there is a lot the Steelers could do that would appreciably increase their chances of winning more games. They could insulate against injury by adding depth, but they already have depth. Wide receiver still seems to be the most plausible area at which they could make an impactful addition.
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