This Steelers-Jaguars trade would actually get Trevor Lawrence to Pittsburgh

The NFL fandom was hit with a bit of a curveball on Thursday when rumblings of a potential Trevor Lawrence trade emerged. Allegedly, the Pittsburgh Steelers contacted the Jacksonville Jaguars about a trade centered on the former No. 1 pick.

That is an undeniably spicy rumor. Pittsburgh has struggled to find its long-term centerpiece at QB since Ben Roethlisberger's retirement. The Kenny Pickett era did not work out, and Justin Fields does not give off the vibes of a proper building block. He was viewed as a consensus backup last season; did one 4-2 stint as a starter really change that?

In Lawrence, the Steelers would finally have a franchise quarterback under lock and key.

Those rumors ultimately proved false. At least, it seems that way.

A Jaguars source told ESPN's Michael DiRocco that the idea of Pittsburgh calling about Lawrence was "ridiculous." He said there is "no chance" the Jags part with the 25-year-old signal-caller, who inked a historic five-year, $275 million contract last offseason.

We can safely cross Lawrence off of the Steelers wishlist... but what if? What if Jacksonville decides it did not like the return on investment with Lawrence's contract so far and wants to recoup value on the trade market? It's not a completely unreasonable line of thinking. The Jags went 4-13 last season and there's no telling how things change under new head coach Liam Coen.

Let's outline what a Steelers trade for Trevor Lawrence would actually entail.

Here's how a Steelers-Jaguars trade for Trevor Lawrence would shape up

We shall lean on the power of precedent here. A franchise quarterback is the most valuable asset in football. Even a "bad" contract, which Lawrence's may very well be, is not enough to prevent the Steelers from giving up significant assets in this hypothetical.

The Packers received a first-round pick, two second-round picks, and a sixth-round pick for Aaron Rodgers, with a (worse) first-round pick and a fourth-round pick going with Rodgers to New York.

Carolina dealt D.J. Moore, a Pro Bowl wide receiver, along with two first-round picks and two second-round picks for the right to select Bryce Young with the No. 1 pick a couple years.

The Rams dealt Jared Goff, a former No. 1 pick, in addition to two first-round picks and a third-round pick to acquire Matthew Stafford from Detroit.

Point being, the Steelers would need to sell the farm for Lawrence, even if he's not quite as fresh and new as Bryce Young (without the benefit of hindsight), nor as established as a Matthew Stafford or Aaron Rodgers. He is, however, much younger than both Stafford and Rodgers. The financial factor is also significant. Even in today's bloated market, $275 million for a quarterback with 46 interceptions through four NFL seasons is... a lot.

Pittsburgh is gambling that Lawrence can put the pieces together and maximize his elite arm talent in a more optimal winning environment. The Jags, meanwhile, would be kicking the proverbial can down the road, nipping the Lawrence experiment in the bud and hoping to build around a new quarterback with a fresh haul of future assets to aid their pursuit.

Here's how the trade might shape up:

This feels something like a fair package. The Steelers punt on two first-round picks in hopes that Lawrence, one of the most gifted QB prospects in recent memory, can find new life in a Steelers uniform. It's fair to doubt the Arthur Smith factor here, but Lawrence boasts a more dynamic arm and greater mobility than Kenny Pickett or 36-year-old Russell Wilson ever did.

The Jags get a nice cache of picks to propel their subsequent rebuild.

Obviously, Jacksonville does not plan to engage in a trade like this, but if it did... there are merits. Lawrence has underperformed to date and he was hurt for a solid chunk of last season. Sometimes the best NFL front offices know when to sell high.