The Pittsburgh Steelers and the NFL are rapidly approaching the trade deadline on October 31st. This has fans and analysts rapidly assessing the Steelers' weaknesses. Let's face it, there's plenty to choose from, and weighing who might possibly be available for the right price. One of the chief areas of concern for Pittsburgh is their secondary and they have been named as a possible landing spot for a top defensive back, Justin Simmons from the Denver Broncos.
Kamil Krzaczynski / AP
Green Bay Packers' Jaire Alexander is one of the best in the league and possible ripe for a trade.
While other media outlets are throwing around names like Patrick Surtain II (another cornerback from the Broncos), or Jaire Alexander from the Green Bay Packers, Simmons has been garnering additional attention. According to Connor Orr from Sports Illustrated, the Steelers need to take a serious look at Simmons.
"While this may seem odd, given that the Steelers are settled at this position, Simmons could break open the defense and allow all of its component parts to spread their wings."
Safety is one thing, but Pittsburgh is totally not settled at the cornerback position. Their two veteran starters, Levi Wallace and Patrick Peterson have been inconsistent at best. They are both ranked among the lowest corners in the league by Pro Football Focus. While both players have had interceptions this season, they have also struggled to contain opponents and limit the yardage gained after a catch. This is why they could use someone like Simmons to help on the back end.
"Safties are valuable, especially rangy ones. In a division where the more physical the secondary, the better its chances of survival. Pittsburgh is not one offensive upgrade away from becoming an elite offense, but Simmons could get the Steelers to the territory where, if Pittsburgh makes the playoffs as a low seed, it would have a better chance of completely upending an opponent by showing them something they haven't seen all season, or simply overwhelming them with experience in the secondary and creating that critical turnover. This would remind me a little of when they plucked Minkah Fitzpatrick away from the [Miami] Dolphins in 2019."
During his time in Denver, Simmons, who is 29, has been a consistently disruptive force. He has started 98 games and has been named an All-Pro three times in his career, with 562 tackles and 28 interceptions.
The Steelers Need A Disrupter In The Secondary
It is never as simple as just adding a new player to a team. The Steelers will have to do some reconfiguring to fit him in. Peterson started being used during Week 7 more in the manner that was indicated before the start of 2023. They have had Minkah Fitzpatrick moving around in the secondary more to help out and Damontae Kazee and Keanu Neal as backups to spell the vets.
Jordan Schofield / SteelerNation (Twitter / x: @JSKO_Photo)
Between Damontae Kazee and Keanu Neal, the Steelers' new safeties should be able to replace Terrell Edmunds.
In addition to those players, they also have the rookie Joey Porter Jr., who has been playing more and more. He makes a nice compliment to the other exceptional players on defense including T.J. Watt and Alex Highsmith on the edge.
Porter is the son of legendary Steelers linebacker Joey Porter Sr. Senior was a major contributor to the Steelers 2006 Super Bowl victory. After which he hoisted his young son up like he was the Lombardi Trophy. Porter Jr. was selected with the Steelers' first pick in the second round of the 2023 NFL Draft. Due to his pedigree, he was one of the most sought-after draft picks among Pittsburgh fans.
Highsmith and Watt are arguably the best pass-rushing duo in the NFL at this time. Watt is second in sacks in the league with eight. While Highsmith may not currently have the flashy stats, his ability to disrupt the offense is unmistakable. During his Week 8 press conference, Head Coach Mike Tomlin praised Highsmith, stating that while he may not get to the quarterback every time, he has them constantly worried about ending up on their backs.
USA Today
Alex Highsmith and TJ Watt celebrate a turnover against the Baltimore Ravens.
Watt and Highsmith have even been assisting the offense, both scoring touchdowns in the Week 2 game against the Cleveland Browns. The addition of an upgrade would allow these phenomenal defenders - Watt, Highsmith, Fitzpatrick, etc. to do what they are good at doing without having to worry about stepping up for others.
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