The Pittsburgh Steelers have major problems on offense. Acquiring one player on the trade market isn’t going to fix everything or even half of what went wrong with the unit in Week 2 versus the New England Patriots.
But adding a new running back would add depth for the Steelers after the team lost Rico Dowdle to injury on Sunday.
Bleacher Report’s Moe Morton released a list of five players who could be bargain trade targets to replace injured players from Week 2. Morton identified New York Giants running back Tyrone Tracy Jr. for the Steelers.
“Pittsburgh Steelers running back Rico Dowdle exited early in Week 2 because of a toe injury. He’s been inefficient in the Steelers’ stagnant offense, averaging just 2.5 yards per carry,” wrote Morton.
The Steelers haven’t featured Jaylen Warren in a workhorse role. Last season was the first in which he’s averaged double-digit rush attempts per game. Pittsburgh’s new coaching regime may prefer an even split between its top two ball-carriers.”
The BR analyst sees Tracy as a potential spark for the Steelers lackluster offense. The Steelers are in the bottom five teams in rushing yards per game and yards per carry. They are also ranked last with a 3.8 yards per play average.
Because of a rough stretch through the preseason, Tyrone Tracy Jr. has likely fallen out of favor with the New York Giants. He missed a block that allowed a defender to blast quarterback Jaxson Dart for a sack and lost a fumble on one of his two carries in Big Blue’s season opener,” wrote Morton.
“The Steelers may be able to acquire Tracy for a late-round pick, which is a steal for a player who’s accumulated over 1,000 scrimmage yards in each of his first two seasons.”
Should Steelers Acquire New RB?
The Steelers might need an entire new offensive line and WR1 and offensive play-caller more than a new running back. A younger quarterback wouldn’t hurt either.
But based on the exercise of identifying bargain bin options to potential replaced injured players from Week 2, Tracy is an intriguing option. The Steelers were supposed to have a strong running back duo with Dowdle and Jaylen Warren. But behind them, the depth on the active roster isn’t experienced.
Running back Eli Heidenreich is a seventh-round rookie. The Steelers traded second-year running back Kaleb Johnson to the Green Bay Packers before the roster deadline in August.
Even still, there are other priorities for the Steelers offense than another running back. And quite frankly, adding another new player to the scheme could just confuse things further. Head coach Mike McCarthy spoke at length after the game 20-3 loss Sunday that he has to have a simpler game plan.
The severity of Dowdle’s injury could change things. But it probably makes the most sense for the Steelers to roll with Warren as the backfield bell-cow as long as Dowdle’s injury is a short-term one.
What Could Tyrone Tracy Jr. Bring to Pittsburgh Backfield
But let’s consider Morton hypothetical and say the Steelers do try to trade for a veteran running back. Tracy could be an ideal fit.
Tracy would bring a dual-threat ability in the backfield. During each of his first two seasons, he posted more than 1,000 yards from scrimmage. In 33 NFL games, he has averaged 4.3 yards per carry and registered 74 catches for 572 yards.
Tracy has scored 10 total touchdowns — seven rushing and three receiving.
In Pittsburgh, Tracy could share the workload with Warren if the toe injury sidelines Dowdle for an extended period. Tracy could then provide veteran experience to the Steelers backfield once Dowdle returns (although so far, Pittsburgh has elected to have youth behind its top two running backs).
As long as Tracy truly is a bargain as Morton suggested he would be, it’s a trade the Steelers could consider if Dowdle is out for several weeks.
Steelers Advised to Acquire 1,000-Yard Playmaker After Rico Dowdle Injury