The Steelers have until 4 PM today to trim their roster down to 53, but they can trade assets while doing so. Who, then, are the potential trade options? There are some transactions the team has already announced that are not yet official, and perhaps intentionally so. We’ll get to that below, but here is a list of players the Steelers could potentially be trying to offload.
QB Skylar Thompson: We have already discussed the possibility of the Steelers trading to trade Skylar Thompson. They had a window, and perhaps the Raiders considered him before trading for Kenny Pickett. But quarterback is a position at which there is always a need around the league. With HC Mike Tomlin sounding optimistic about Will Howard’s imminent return, they will want to maximize Thompson’s value. They could even put Howard on IR and try to trade Thompson while the rookie is there.
P Cameron Johnston: The Steelers announced yesterday they are terminating Johnston’s contract—but they could trade him first. Until the league office processes the transaction, it’s not official. Every year, teams announce intentions to release a player only for a team to trade for him. The advantage is they then don’t have to compete for a player whose trade value is lowered.
K Ben Sauls: We have already seen reports that the Steelers hope to trade rookie K Ben Sauls, which is probably rather ambitious. He did well enough in the preseason, but there are kickers out there with NFL resumes. Matthew Wright is free now, for example.
OLB DeMarvin Leal: I posed the question of whether the Steelers could trade DeMarvin Leal, and, well, you never know. They have traded similarly-positioned former third-round picks before like Sammie Coates and Kendrick Green. Perhaps a 4-3 team sees more potential in him than what the Steelers managed to unlock.
CB Beanie Bishop Jr.: With the Steelers basically announcing Bishop was on the roster bubble, they could hope to trade him. Four interceptions is always a nice calling card. And remember, a trade doesn’t have to be for a draft pick. You can trade for a player, too. But it appears he may be dealing with an injury right now, which would obviously complicate the possibility.
WR Robert Woods: If Woods sticks at this point, it will only be due to injuries at wide receiver. He is at least a named receiver, though, and signed for more than the minimum. If a team needs a wide receiver, the Steelers will surely try to trade him, I suspect. It’s not like there’s anything to lose if the team on the other line says no.
The Steelers might not receive much in return if they manage to trade any of these players, but that’s not the point. Something is better than nothing, even if Ed Bouchette might not agree. In August 2019, they traded Jerald Hawkins and a 2021 seventh-round pick for a 2021 sixth. Why not do that, rather than just waive him?
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