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Steelers’ Top Trade Candidates Ahead of 2023Training Camp
The Pittsburgh Steelers have had a strong offseason thus far. They addressed key needs in free agency and the draft by adding the likes of Patrick Peterson, Elandon Roberts, Isaac Seumalo, rookie tackle Broderick Jones and rookie cornerback Joey Porter Jr.
Pittsburgh appears poised to build on last year’s 9-8 campaign with a fairly complete roster, and fans shouldn’t expect many major moves before training camp opens on July 26.
This doesn’t mean that the Steelers will stay stagnant before camp, though. The team appears to be gearing up for a postseason return, and if an opportunity to further improve the roster presents itself, general manager Omar Khan will likely pounce.
While Pittsburgh does have $12.3 million in cap space remaining, free agency isn’t the only tool at its disposal. The Steelers could also look to the trade market, which yielded wideout Allen Robinson II earlier this offseason.
Below, we’ll examine three logical trade candidates Pittsburgh could look to send out before Week 1—either to help acquire a player or for valuable future draft capital.
TE Zach Gentry
Tight end Zach Gentry played sparingly during his first two seasons with Pittsburgh, but he has started to emerge over the last two years. Between 2021 and 2022, the 26-year-old caught 38 passes for 299 yards. He played 50 percent of the offensive snaps last year.
This offseason, the Steelers signed Gentry to a new one-year, $1.4 million contract. However, that was before Pittsburgh snagged Georgia tight end Darnell Washington in the third round of April’s draft.
Washington isn’t a finished product, but he’s a tremendous blocker who possesses high-upside potential.
“Washington is the home run swing at tight end in this draft class,” Derrik Klassen of the Bleacher Report Scouting Department wrote. “Players with his size and athletic ability do not come around often.”
With Pat Freiermuth entrenched as the starter and with Washington entering the equation, Pittsburgh simply may not need Gentry this season. Tight-end depth is always valuable, but Gentry could have more to offer in a trade to a team lacking at the position.
Pittsburgh would likely only get Day 3 draft compensation in a trade, but that’s more than it would get if Gentry departs as a 2024 free agent, and the Steelers could also save $1.1 million in 2023 cap space.
G Kevin Dotson
With Seumalo coming in on a three-year, $24 million deal to start a guard, the writing was on the wall for 2022 starter Kevin Dotson.
“I mean, once you pay somebody, it’s set in stone regardless,” Dotson said, per Nick Farabaugh of Steelers Now.
Dotson simply wasn’t good enough in 2022. According to Pro Football Focus, he was responsible for 12 penalties and four sacks surrendered. With quarterback Kenny Pickett establishing himself as the franchise’s future, the Steelers needed an upgrade.
Now, Pittsburgh must decide what to do with Dotson, who will be a free agent in 2024. He could be used as depth, but he could also become an enticing trade target for a team with questions along its offensive interior.
While Dotson didn’t play well last season, he’s still a 26-year-old lineman with 30 starts and one playoff appearance on his resume. He would likely yield at least a late-round pick and/or could be part of a package to acquire a player Pittsburgh could actually use in 2023.
Dotson is scheduled to carry a cap hit of $2.9 million this year, which is a lot for a backup guard. The Steelers could save $2.7 million of that by trading the Louisiana product before Week 1.
LB Alex Highsmith
Let’s be clear. The Steelers shouldn’t be looking to move linebacker and pass-rusher Alex Highsmith this offseason. The soon-to-be 26-year-old is a budding star and a very capable complement to T.J. Watt.
This past season, Highsmith tallied 14.5 sacks and 28 quarterback pressures. He’s focused on the coming season, even though he’s eligible for a contract extension.
“We’ll see when that time comes,” Highsmith said of an extension, per Joe Rutter of TribLive. “Right now, I’m working. Being with the team, being with the guys means a lot to me.”
However, while the Steelers tend to do a good job of keeping their own players, there’s no guarantee that they can retain Highsmith if he reaches 2024 free agency. Pittsburgh is already projected to be $6.7 million over the cap next year.
And Highsmith would undoubtedly bring a spicy trade package back if he’s dealt to a pass-rusher-needy team. He’s young, he’s productive, and he’s set to carry a cap hit of just under $3 million this season. Virtually any contender would be happy to land Highsmith, and a high Day-2 draft selection would likely be his value floor.
If the Steelers can’t work out a long-term deal before Week 1—again, they should try to do so—they have to consider dealing Highsmith before potentially losing him for a compensatory pick in 2024 free agency.
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