Defense First: Steelers’Trade Deadline Focus Shift to…

The Pittsburgh Steelers have reportedly made several attempts to sign wide receivers during the season’s first half and have been unable to make anything stick. Rumors abounded that they tried for everyone from Brandon Aiyuk and Davante Adams, to Cooper Kupp and Christian Kirk. While there are still several names left on the table during the waning hours before the trade deadline is up at 4 PM ET on Tuesday, some insiders think they aren’t even trying for a receiver. 

Steelers insider Gerry Dulac, from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, recently joined Billy Gardell and Wes Uhler on the Randy Baumann & The DVE Morning Show on 102.5 WDVE. They asked him about the possibility of the team still landing a solid wide receiver. He said he doesn’t think they will sign a receiver at all. He said instead, the Steelers have their eyes on the other side of the ball. 

According to Dulac, the Steelers always consider the most important position in football, the quarterback. That means that when it comes to their defense, the Steelers’ biggest concern is filling in depth for the players who go after or “attack” the quarterbacks from the other team.

“I will tell you this: I will not be surprised at all if the Steelers made a trade,” said Dulac. “I’m not going to tell you I expect it, but I am not exactly sure it will be for a wide receiver. I think there are other avenues they might pursue. I don’t think it will be anything blockbuster, that’s for sure. I do think they might make a deal to improve their depth, and you could look at maybe certain positions, important positions, where they are lacking in a little depth. That wouldn’t surprise me at all.”

That obviously applies to positions such as cornerback, outside linebacker, and even defensive line. The Steelers have been thin in some areas, and with Keeanu Benton not performing as well as expected, some analysts have suggested the Steelers might go after defensive line depth. While Cameron Heyward is having an All-Pro type season through eight games at 35 years old, there are always concerns about him being injured as he was in 2023.

“That is pass rushers; that’s their edge guys,” explains Dulac. “Nick Herbig has that grade-three hamstring; he’s on IR. That injury is obviously troublesome. They already lost DeMarvin Leal, and so they have Jeremiah Moon out there. They are going to get Cam Sutton back. Beanie Bishop stepped up, but Cam Sutton can play a number of different positions. That’s going to be a nice addition for them. If I am looking at where they might need depth, it’s those important positions.”

Nick Herbig had an outstanding start to the season, rotating with T.J. Watt and Alex Highsmith. He bounced back from an early ankle injury. Unfortunately, he suffered a hamstring injury during the game against the Dallas Cowboys. There was never a report that Herbig was placed on the injured reserve, and on Monday, he appeared in uniform, a step closer to working out. A grade three tear is the worst, a complete muscle tear, and would likely take much longer to return.

Steelers Have A Versatile Weapon In Cam Sutton

Dulac’s co-worker Ray Fittipaldo recently said that the Steelers are fortunate to have Sutton back on the team. Although he received low marks with the Detroit Lions last season, most analysts agree he was misused.

The good news is that he is so versatile, he could replace numerous players if someone got injured. Those would include Beanie Bishop Jr., who has really stepped up through the first half of the season, Donte Jackson, and even Joey Porter Jr. That fact supports Dulac’s assertion that if the Steel City can find a good fit at cornerback, they might consider someone who can also help provide depth in the event of an injury.