The Pittsburgh Steelers could look to be active on the trade front for a potential Super Bowl run.
Pittsburgh picked up a big win over the New Orleans Saints in Paris to improve to 5-2 and is tied with the Cleveland Browns for the top spot in the AFC North.
Ahead of the Nov. 10 NFL Trade Deadline, the Steelers could look to be active on the trade front, especially on offense.
Pittsburgh Steelers Named Best Fit for Josh Downs
The Steelers could be active on the trade front and look to acquire some receiver help.
Pittsburgh could look to upgrade its offense, and NFL analyst Daniel Popper of The Athletic named the Steelers as a landing spot for Indianapolis Colts receiver Josh Downs.
“Downs is in the final year of his rookie deal, and he has developed into one of the better route runners in the league,” Popper wrote. “He is predominantly a slot player, aligning inside on more than 74 percent of his career offensive snaps. The Colts signed receiver Alec Pierce to a four-year, $114 million extension in the offseason.
“Pierce has played 49 snaps this season while battling injuries. Downs is good, cheap and on an expiring deal. He would be a potentially valuable trade piece if interim GM Ed Dodds is tasked with bolstering the draft cupboard. Best fits: 49ers, Steelers, Raiders, Chiefs, Seahawks.”
Downs is in the final year of his rookie contract and will be looking to get paid this offseason. The Steelers could acquire him for the playoff run and let him sign elsewhere this offseason, or potentially try to extend him.
Downs is a speedy receiver and can add another weapon for the Steelers. He’s recorded 26 receptions for 307 yards this season.
Pittsburgh’s Offense Hitting Its Stride
The Steelers picked up a 16-10 win over the Saints in Paris.
Although the offense struggled at times, head coach Mike McCarthy felt like the offense is getting better.
“We’ve been doing a good job offensively on most things,” said Mike McCarthy. “Third down was something that we needed to improve on. We’ve been doing a good job of staying in reasonable third-down opportunities — third-and-2, third-and-4, 5, and 6.
“So with that, the ability to also run the ball in those situations, I felt was huge for us today. I thought our players and coaches did a really good job with the game planning, and with us sticking to the run there.”
The Steelers could look to add another weapon or two to make them even harder to play against.
Pittsburgh Steelers Named as Landing Spot for Speedy Receiver in Intriguing Move