Three possible Steelers trade candidates will report to training camp in 2024.
The Steelers could still make moves ahead of training camp.
Steelers mascot with three mystery players in silhouette.
The Pittsburgh Steelers have already made significant changes this offseason, including completely revamping their quarterback room. They also traded their second-best receiver and added a blue-chip lineman during the 2024 NFL Draft.
However, with training camp fast approaching, there are a few more minor adjustments the front office could make to optimize the roster.
Keep reading to find out which three players Steelers’ general manager Omar Khan should consider trading ahead of training camp.
Najee Harris is unlikely to get a second contract with Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh Steelers running back Najee Harris (22) runs the ball in the first half against the Buffalo Bills in a 2024 AFC wild card game at Highmark Stadium.
Pittsburgh’s 2021 first-round draft pick is a talented and reliable player at the running back position, but his time appears limited in the Steel City. Khan has been telegraphing that he doesn’t want to give Harris the kind of contract that he will demand once he is a free agent. This will likely result in Harris walking in free agency and joining a new team for his second contract.
Harris is a good player, but he has already been losing playing time to undrafted free agent Jaylen Warren, which in and of itself demonstrates why running backs are very rarely worth the investment of a first-round pick. It’s not a bad thing for Harris or Warren to split carries. However, it does explain why the Steelers may be unwilling to break the bank on the former Alabama star once his contract is up.
Let’s assume for a second that is the case, and that Pittsburgh’s front office has internally decided they won’t offer Harris anything more than the veteran minimum. If that is true, then there are two follow-up questions the Steelers must ask themselves, and they have to be brutally honest in answering them.
The first question is, do the Steelers genuinely believe that they can compete for a Super Bowl in the upcoming season? Assuming that the answer is yes, the next question becomes, is Harris essential to Pittsburgh’s contention for a championship?
If Khan and company answer yes to both of those questions, they can be justified in keeping Harris for the upcoming season, knowing that they will likely lose him for nothing in free agency. When you have a shot at a Super Bowl ring, you take it and do whatever is necessary to win. You let the chips fall where they may and figure out the rest later.
However, if the answer to one or both of those questions is no, then the smart thing for the Steelers to do would be to explore dealing Harris and receiving assets back as opposed to losing him for nothing in free agency.
Dan Moore Jr. should be traded, the only question is when
Moore Jr. doesn’t have an obvious home on Pittsburgh’s roster after the team invested first-round draft capital in two consecutive years along the offensive line.
With Broderick Jones and Troy Fautanu expected to hold down both offensive tackle spots for the Black and Gold, Moore Jr. just doesn’t have a spot where he fits into the team’s plans.
The Steelers are unlikely to find a very robust market for the veteran left tackle’s services. However, they should still be able to at least add one or two mid-to-late-round picks by dealing Moore Jr. to another team that needs help at the tackle position.
The only decision that really has to be made is when it is best to trade their former starting left tackle.
Once the season begins, or even once training camp begins, reality typically begins to reveal its ugly face and teams will understand that they don’t necessarily have the talent or the depth that they thought they did. At this point, with the draft and free agency in the rearview mirror, these teams will quickly become desperate. They’ll realize that they need to make a deal in order to potentially salvage their season.
This is to say that the Steelers could suddenly find a much stronger demand for Moore Jr.’s services once training camp begins or the regular season gets underway and teams face reality or get hit with the injury bug.
On the other hand, waiting until the season begins will remind potential suitors as to all of Moore Jr.’s flaws and reinforce the point that the team does not view him as a starting-caliber player. It’s unlikely that teams will break the bank for a backup tackle who either hasn’t seen the field much or has gotten exposed when he has been on the field. Therefore, Pittsburgh would be better off dealing the tackle before the season begins.
Jaylen Warren could fetch a better return than Harris
Seattle Seahawks cornerback Devon Witherspoon (21) tackles Pittsburgh Steelers running back Jaylen Warren (30) during the second half at Lumen Field.
A lot of the argument for dealing Warren is similar to the case made for dealing Harris. However, Warren would likely fetch a little bit better of a return because he’s more explosive and presents a Homerun threat.
That being said, those are the same reasons that the team should look to keep Warren around.
The Steelers must ask themselves the same two questions they asked regarding Harris. If the answers are yes, Warren should be donning the black and gold. If the answers are no, then the next step is to look ahead to the upcoming draft.
If Khan likes what he sees in the draft, he should consider sending Warren away for assets and rebooting the running back position with a younger player who can be acquired through the draft.
