Well, we know the Pittsburgh Steelers already traded away one of their defensive backs, and ESPN NFL insider Jeremy Fowler is hinting that Jalen Ramsey could be next. With the Steelers’ secondary still searching for answers, a Ramsey trade is no longer as far-fetched as it may have sounded a few weeks ago. Fowler floated the Detroit Lions as a potential suitor.

“Is it worth calling Pittsburgh for Jalen Ramsey? Not sure he’s available, but that Lions defense seems far from settled.”

So the immediate question becomes whether Pittsburgh would actually entertain the idea. The more you dig into it, the more the pieces start to line up.

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Steelers have no plans to move Ramsey back to cornerback

For one, the Steelers have plenty of problems at cornerback. Joey Porter Jr. is out, Jamel Dean is injured, and Pittsburgh is leaning on Daylen Everette and Asante Samuel Jr. on the outside. That is not exactly the group the front office envisioned when the season started.

You would think that would make Ramsey, a longtime cornerback, the obvious solution. In reality, the coaching staff doesn’t plan on moving him back outside. Steelers defensive coordinator Patrick Graham made that clear in comments shared on X by Chris Adamski.

“I like where Jalen is right now,” said Graham. “I like what he’s doing right now. That safety, that star spot, that’s exactly where we want him.”

That tells me the Steelers view Ramsey as a hybrid piece rather than the fix for their cornerback woes. On top of that, Pittsburgh already has Brandin Echols, who can handle the slot and nickel role. If Ramsey isn’t going to play corner and the Steelers have another option at the star position, his value to this specific roster starts to look a little different than his value to the rest of the league.

Jalen Ramsey’s contract makes a trade more realistic

Here is where things get even more appealing for a potential buyer. Ramsey only has $5.5 million in guaranteed salary this year, and he has no guaranteed salary remaining on his deal after this season.

That makes a deal much more tenable for any team, whether it’s Detroit or another contender dealing with injuries in the secondary. A team acquiring Ramsey wouldn’t be locked into a long-term financial commitment. It would essentially be renting a veteran defensive back with a proven résumé for a playoff push.

It also works in Pittsburgh’s favor.If the Steelers decide to trade Ramsey, they would be looking at pure cap savings as opposed to eating dead cap. For a front office that has to think about next year’s roster just as much as this one, that matters.

What happens next for Pittsburgh

To be fair to the Steelers, I’m not convinced they would be willing to part ways with Ramsey right now. He is still a valuable player, and Graham’s comments suggest the staff likes how he fits in this defense.

The truth is, the math changes if the losses keep piling up. If the Steelers aren’t going to put Ramsey at corner, they already have Echols in the slot, and a team like the Lions comes calling with a decent enough draft pick, it is hard to see Pittsburgh hanging up the phone.

The way I see it, Fowler could be on to something if the Steelers continue to struggle. A reeling team in need of secondary help, a player with no guaranteed salary beyond this season, and a coaching staff that doesn’t plan to use him where Pittsburgh needs help most is a combination that tends to lead to a trade.