Why The Steelers Should Avoid Trading For A Cornerback Based On Past History Ahead Of Week 1

We are less than a week away from finding out who makes the Pittsburgh Steelers' 53-man roster. Seemingly, most of the roster is already figured out, as there are just a few positions and names to watch for. The cornerback spot is one of them, as no one is a lock beyond the top three (Patrick Peterson, Levi Wallace and Joey Porter Jr.). Cory Trice Jr.'s injury tested the depth at the position for the duration of training camp in Latrobe.

James Pierre, Elijah Riley, and Chandon Sullivan are just a few of the names that are likely to fill out the room. While Riley has specifically impressed in camp, these are names that some fans still aren't too confident in. Pierre has spent three seasons in Pittsburgh, which has included 701 defensive snaps. In his time on the field, he hasn't exactly lit the world on fire. 

Who will be Steelers' nickel cornerback?

The other two have been competing for the open nickel position, but it seems both of them could make the 53-man roster. Defensive Coordinator Teryl Austin's comments on Monday only confirmed this possibility. Much of the discussion lately has been whether the team will add another cornerback ahead of Week 1 against the San Francisco 49ers. One possibility? The front office pursues a trade for the positional need.

General Manager Omar Khan isn't afraid to be aggressive, as we've seen over the past year. That includes in the trade market, as he's made a few of them in his tenure. So why would this not be a good idea? Well, look at the team's past when it comes to these kind of trades. It's something that was pointed out by Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette in his Wednesday chat.

Yes, it was Kevin Colbert that was making these moves in the past. That would be Justin Gilbert, Brandon Boykin, William Jackson III, and Ahkello Witherspoon. Those are some uninspiring names to say the least, but they all had similar profiles. That is, all of them had starting roles with their former teams at one point. All four of them went in the first four rounds of their respective NFL Drafts, as Jackson and Gilbert were highly distinguished first-rounders. 

Unfortunately, none of them panned out in Pittsburgh. The four combined for just eight starts with the Steelers, most of which Witherspoon is responsible for. Between 2021 and 2022, he started seven games for Pittsburgh. In fact, the team signed him to a two-year, $8 million in between the two years. Injuries plagued him all throughout 2022, which has been a story of his career.

That led to his release earlier this offseason, but he's essentially the most accomplished Steelers cornerback of these names. Jackson, whom was acquired back in November, didn't even appear in a game. Due to his massive cap hit, the team cut ties with him as well this offseason. The four were acquired for two fifth-rounders, a sixth-rounder, and a conditional seventh-rounder in Jackson's case. 

While it wasn't significant draft capital, it's still something of value that they gave up for essentially zero production. Again, Khan is now handling things, not Colbert. Still, it should raise room for concern for fans. Another injury to the cornerback room would essentially make a trade necessary. For now though, it seems wise to lay off on a trade based off the team's history.

With roster cuts coming up, the team can definitely snatch up a talented cornerback off the market. As of now, that makes the most sense. Do you agree with this sentiment that the Steelers should avoid trading for a cornerback? Who should the team eye when roster cuts take place in the next week? Share your thoughts in the comment section below, yinz!

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