NFL writer suggests one Steelers trade that would make plenty of sense
The jury is still out on whether or not the Pittsburgh Steelers should hand the keys to Kenny Pickett after two good preseason showings. While it's easy to get carried away with the fun performances from the rookie, there's a lot that goes into the decision. Do you deviate from your plan for Day 1 […]
The jury is still out on whether or not the Pittsburgh Steelers should hand the keys to Kenny Pickett after two good preseason showings. While it's easy to get carried away with the fun performances from the rookie, there's a lot that goes into the decision.
Do you deviate from your plan for Day 1 after dedicating most first-team snaps to an NFL veteran that's been in the playoffs? Do you throw Pickett – who still needs to clean up some aspects of his game – behind a mediocre offensive line and risk his development?
It's a tough call for the Steelers. So much so that I'm sure when the decision is finally made, most fans will be okay with it. Whoever starts at QB in Week 1.
But even after a good offseason (for some the best among the three quarterbacks), Mason Rudolph is getting buried in the conversation. This inevitably leads to speculation about using the veteran as a trading coin.
Bleacher Report's NFL writer Alex Kay recently suggested one trade for every team around the league. As you might've imagined, the Steelers' segment features Rudolph. And it's not just because he thought of the first crappy team in the league.
Steelers insider Andrew Fillipponi reported one former general manager thinks Rudolph could be on the move this very week.
"Jared Goff didn’t show anything during his first season with the Lions to give the team a reason to believe he could be the long-term solution under center," writes Kay in the article.
For most of the offseason, Steelers roster projections have almost invariably featured the three quarterbacks. I don't know if Pickett's "varsity action" from last week was enough to get this team to change its mind, but Khan did say they'd listen to every call.
The general manager also mentioned he thought a quarterback trade was unlikely but that must be taken with a grain of salt since he knows he can't give away any potential leverage.
This leads us to one of the biggest factors working against a potential trade. How much can you get for Rudolph? Anything more than a Day 3 pick would likely be a shock for Steelers fans.
This is likely a question of whether or not Pittsburgh wants to use that roster spot at another position rather than wanting significant draft compensation.
Featured image via Corey Perrine / Florida Times-Union / USA TODAY NETWORK
