Getty The Steelers could look to acquire Myles Gaskin.
The Pittsburgh Steelers could pull off a deal for a young running back.
As the Steelers enter the 2022 season, one of their positions of need is finding a backup running back behind Najee Harris. According to Bleacher Report’s Joe Tansey, one of his “shocking trade ideas” for the Steelers sees Pittsburgh acquiring Miami Dolphins running back Myles Gaskin.
While Tansey warns the deal would make “little sense” considering Harris is entrenched as the starting running back, he notes that it would make sense for the Steelers to at least “explore” the market if Gaskin is available.
“Pittsburgh could be content with the running back room it has since Benny Snell and Anthony McFarland were also around last year, but it would make sense to at least explore the trade market if someone like Gaskin becomes available,” says Tansey.
Why Gaskin May Be Traded By Dolphins
The 25-year-old Gaskin served as the Dolphins’ starting back last season and also started seven games during the 2020 season. Gaskin’s rushing stats don’t exactly pop off of the charts as he averaged an underwhelming 3.5 yards per carry after rushing for 612 yards on 173 carries. However, he does serve as a versatile weapon, having caught at least 40 passes in each of the last two seasons.
While Gaskin has certainly played a major role for the Dolphins over the past two seasons, the writing may be on the wall for his departure. Miami brought in veteran backs such as Sony Michel, Raheem Mostert and Chase Edmonds during the offseason. Bringing in three backs who all have starting experience signals the Dolphins aren’t content at running back.
“Myles Gaskin could become available before Week 1 since the Miami Dolphins added a ton of running back depth in the offseason,” says Tansey. “Gaskin may play third or fourth fiddle in the Miami offense behind Chase Edmonds, Raheem Mostert and Sony Michel.
In fact, the Michel signing may be writing on the wall for Gaskin’s tenure in south Florida, especially if the veteran impresses in training camp. Pittsburgh has some nice backup options behind Harris, but there could be room for improvement.”
Because Gaskin was a seventh-round draft choice in 2019 and is entering the last year of his rookie contract, the fourth-year back could be cut with a barely-noticeable dead cap hit of just over $21,000. By comparison, Edmonds holds a dead cap hit of $6.1 million, Mostert has a dead cap hit at $1 million and Michel’s dead money figure is $850,000.
In other words, if Gaskin fails to establish himself early in the training camp battle between the four backs, he likely finds himself as the odd man out.
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Why Gaskin Makes Sense for Steelers
Gaskin holds appeal for the Steelers not just due to his versatility and experience, but because of the fact that Harris led all running backs in touches during his rookie season. He also ranked second in the league in carries. Acquiring Gaskin lifts the burden off of Harris.
While Harris certainly excelled despite the heavy workload — he ranked fourth in rushing yards and yards from scrimmage — burdening one running back with all of the touches is never a good idea. One simply can look at Christian McCaffrey and Saquon Barkley as examples of young star running backs who have become injury-prone as a result of their heavy workloads early on their careers.
After leading the league in touches in 2019, McCaffrey has been limited to just 10 games over the past two seasons. Meanwhile, Barkley played just two games in 2020 after ranking second in the league in carries during the 2018 season.
If the Steelers want to keep Harris healthy during the early part of his career, acquiring a player such as Gaskin may be a key move.