I gotta admit, I find this time of year annoying because there’s rampant speculation about potential star players possibly being moved before the trade deadline, when in reality, very few of them will be traded.
It’s usually unknown starters and over-the-hill notable names that get dealt before the deadline.
As for another annoyance, more teams need to seriously consider being sellers and stop holding on to star players in the back ends of their primes while knowing that they’re still years away from fielding a winning team.
I recently ranked the top 15 available players, knowing very well that the top six names on the list likely won’t be moved. I don’t get what the Raiders, Titans, Dolphins and Saints get out of holding on to their best players when they should be prioritizing the draft to repair their weak rosters.
But, hey, maybe we’ll get a rare blockbuster trade in the next week. With an eye toward next week’s trade deadline, here’s the latest NFL Fact or Fiction.
Steelers should break up their old defense at the trade deadline
Manzano’s view: Fact
I nearly followed Albert Breer’s lead after he wrote that the Browns should consider trading Myles Garrett. (I agree with Breer’s take, by the way.) But I talked myself out of saying the Steelers should put T.J. Watt on the trading block before the Nov. 4 deadline.
Instead, here’s a more sensible approach for a franchise not accustomed to being a seller: the Steelers need to break up their fast-aging defense, a unit that has been a liability most of the season.
Pittsburgh would never consider trading Watt, but I wonder if there’s some small amount of regret for caving into his contract demands, working out a three-year, $123 million contract extension with the 31-year-old star pass rusher before training camp in July. Watt hasn’t come close to playing up to his lofty standards, but he’s nowhere near being the biggest problem on this struggling defense.
The Steelers (4–3) need a quick and drastic makeover in the secondary to have any chance of making the postseason and holding off the Ravens and Bengals in the subpar AFC North. The team did make a move with hopes of repairing the sluggish secondary, but adding safety Kyle Dugger doesn’t fix the problems they have at cornerback.
Cornerback Jalen Ramsey and Darius Slay need to be placed on the trading block and flipped for Day 3 draft picks. Edge rusher Alex Highsmith and linebacker Patrick Queen should be used as trade pieces to improve the secondary A.S.A.P.
Pittsburgh’s secondary was torched by Joe Flacco and Jordan Love in back-to-back weeks and is now allowing a league-high 273.3 passing yards per game. Somehow that’s worse than the Cowboys, who gave up 450 passing yards to Russell Wilson earlier this season.
The Steelers wouldn’t be waving the white flag by breaking up this old defense. There’s even a chance of the unit playing better with younger options looking to make the most of opportunities, so might as well get a few draft picks that could help find a long-term quarterback once Aaron Rodgers retires in a year or two.
However, Steelers fans shouldn’t hold their breath. This franchise has been complacent and content with being a nine-win team for years now. But Mike Tomlin’s 18-year streak of having a winning record will likely end if this team doesn’t make drastic changes to the defense.
And, honestly, it wouldn't be the worst idea to move Watt. The Steelers have been exposed the past few weeks, proving they’re far from being a legitimate Super Bowl contender. Now, they get to play the Colts and Chargers the next two weeks.
Commanders should consider being sellers before the trade deadline
Manzano’s view: Fact
Sticking with the theme of teams that will be reluctant to trade their veteran starters, the Commanders need to look in the mirror and think about the future after a disappointing 3–5 start.
It’s just not Washington's year, and the playoffs appear to be a long shot with Philadelphia (6–2) pulling away in the NFC East. There are also slim odds of beating out the NFC North and NFC West teams for wild-card spots.
Even if Jayden Daniels returns this week from his hamstring injury, the Commanders will be underdogs for their two upcoming home games against the Seahawks and Lions.
Perhaps a loss against Seattle could push Washington GM Adam Peters to recoup some of the draft picks the team lost in the trades for wide receiver Deebo Samuel and left tackle Laremy Tunsil. They should also strongly consider placing those two players on the trading block, along with cornerback Marshon Lattimore, another veteran player they acquired in a trade that hasn’t been as fruitful.
To the Commanders’ credit, they went for it after a surprising appearance in the NFC title game, but they’re now the most disappointing team in the NFL and are lacking draft picks to address the several holes on this roster. It’s time for Peters to pivot from his all-in approach and make the most of a bad first two months of the season.
Ravens don’t have what it takes to win the AFC North
Manzano’s view: Fiction
Some might say that the Ravens are the most disappointing team in the NFL, but I can’t agree with that because, unlike the Commanders, they have a viable path to making the postseason even with a 2–5 record.
As mentioned above, the Steelers are fading fast with a bad defense and have a difficult schedule for the remainder of the season. The Bengals (3–5) are also in the mix in the AFC North, but they too have a terrible defense—Cincinatti just allowed the lowly Jets to score 39 points and record more than 500 total yards.
Baltimore now has hope to steal the division with Lamar Jackson expected to return for Thursday night’s game against the Dolphins after being cleared from his hamstring injury, which sidelined him the past three games.
The Ravens also have their issues defensively, but the unit showed plenty of improvement coming out of the bye week to beat the Bears 30–16 in a game that Tyler Huntley started at quarterback. It was a must-win situation and now the Ravens get a feasible schedule after keeping their season alive, playing the Dolphins, Vikings, Browns and Jets in the next four weeks.
Don’t be surprised if the Ravens are all the way back by the time December rolls around.
It’s too soon to fork the Texans after beating 49ers
Manzano’s view: Fiction
I’ll admit I tend to fork teams too quickly, but I’m not buying the talk of the Texans (3–4) heading in the right direction after beating a short-handed 49ers team at home.
Six days earlier, this team couldn’t do anything in Seattle and that was coming out of a bye week. C.J. Stroud has been too inconsistent to assume he has fully turned a corner just because he had one good game against the 49ers.
And maybe Stroud could take off once Nico Collins is cleared from his concussion, because he appears to have established a strong connection with rookie receivers Jayden Higgins and Jaylin Noel. Still, this team needs to execute a trade for a quality running back because not having a balanced offense has played a role in why Stroud has been inconsistent this season.
As for another concern, the Texans likely won’t catch the 7–1 Colts in the AFC South standings, and good luck beating out one of the AFC West and AFC East teams for a wild-card spot.
So with that said, I can confidently say I’m forking the Texans. Forget about the postseason.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Why the First-Place Steelers Should Be Trade Deadline Sellers.