NFL trade deadline: 3 players Steelers should dump for draft picks
By Mark Powell
The NFL trade deadline is fast approaching, and the Steelers are definitely sellers. Who should they consider trading?
The 2022 season hasn’t gone as planned for Mike Tomlin and the Steelers. Pittsburgh entered the year with playoff expectations, though we can argue now that this was always a little misguided.
In their first year in two decades without Ben Roethlisberger, Pittsburgh looks unprepared and, frankly, poorly coached given Tomlin’s reputation. The offense is bad, the defense is arguably worse at times, and it’s already Kenny Pickett time at Acrisure Stadium.
So, with all this in mind, what can the Steelers do to salvage something out of this campaign? First, they can get Pickett and other rookies some meaningful playing time, which is a step they’ve already taken to some extent. Second, they should consider offloading some veterans for future draft capital if at all possible at the deadline.
Steelers trade candidates: Mason Rudolph
Yes, Rudolph is still on this team. The Oklahoma State product who, at one point, was brought in as Roethlisberger’s heir-apparent only to fail miserably at that role, is sitting at third string on the depth chart.
Rudolph’s role can be ignored at this juncture. He’s not sitting at No. 3 on the depth chart because of his ability or style of play. He’s there to not be a threat to Pickett or Mitchell Trubisky behind him.
Rudolph seemed a little upset in training camp when he was demoted to the No. 2 and eventually No. 3 spot. He felt he wasn’t given a fair shot at the starting job, which is understandable.
“I’m a competitor,” Rudolph told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette at the time. “Anyone who wants to compete wants to be the guy on the field, but those are things I can’t control. I’m going to have a good positive mindset, do what I can to help us win.”
Could he receive that opportunity elsewhere for a team with injury issues at QB? Pittsburgh GM Omar Khan won’t get much for him, but even some late-round draft capital is better than nothing.