Getty Steelers' Najee Harris is tackled by Eagles DT Fletcher Cox.
The Pittsburgh Steelers need a defensive tackle — bad. But not third-round draft pick bad. With Stephon Tuitt still on injured reserve, the Steelers engaged in trade talks with the Philadelphia Eagles for six-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle Fletcher Cox.
According to Jason La Confora of CBS Sports, the two teams found themselves at an impasse when the Eagles required a third-round pick in exchange for Cox.
The Eagles were focused primarily on moving players with expiring contracts, sources said, but Cox was brought up in some conversations, with the Steelers showing interest. Pittsburgh has a limited cap situation, but Cox’s recently restructured deal afforded the team the flexibility required to add such a player. However, sources said it would have required at least a third-round pick to pry Cox away, and the Steelers were not willing to do so.
The Eagles created some breathing room by reworking Cox’s contract before the start of the 2021 season. Per ESPN’s Field Yates, nearly $14 million of the contract was converted into a signing bonus, opening up $11.14 million in salary-cap space.
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The talents of Cox cannot be denied. With 55.5 sacks, 420 tackles (72 for loss) and 134 quarterback hits, Cox is one of the best in the league and has been for 10 illustrious seasons. In Week 3, the 30-year-old tackle recovered a fumble and took it in for a score versus the Dallas Cowboys.
It’s no surprise the Steelers felt a third-round pick for Cox was too rich for their blood. With needs along the offensive line and at quarterback, the team cannot afford to relinquish a draft pick, especially early. The 2022 NFL draft is going to be critical for the future of Pittsburgh’s franchise.
Optimism About Tuitt
While Tuitt deals with a knee injury that dates back to the start of training camp, his teammate Cam Heyward remains optimistic about a return this season. “We’re all thinking he’s going to play this year,” Heyward told the media in a November 4 press conference.
The guy most in the know, though, is Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin. When pressed about Tuitt by the media during weekly press conferences, Tomlin sounds like a broken record. He remains very tight-lipped on the situation, continuously repeating that Tuitt is “getting better” while at the same time providing no actual update.
That the Steelers were even inquiring about a defensive tackle of Cox’s caliber to replace Tuitt doesn’t bode well for a 2021 return.
Dominant with Tuitt, the defensive line just isn’t the same without him. The Steelers rank fifth in yards allowed (345.7), eighth against the pass (239.7) and 12th against the run (106), per Pro Football Reference.
Arguably the team’s best defensive lineman in 2020, Tuitt was responsible for a career-high 11 sacks and 45 tackles.
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