Takeaways from Steelers’ Recent Trades

The Pittsburgh Steelers are just under halfway through the regular season with a record of 6-2 and are seemingly determined to stack their already dominant roster. Within the past week, the Steel City got linebacker Preston Smith from the Packers for a 2025 seventh-round pick and wide receiver Mike Williams from the Jets for a 2025 fifth-round pick. The team released tight end Rodney Williams from the active roster, who is expected to join the practice squad if he isn’t picked up by another team. These trades seem to indicate that the Pittsburgh Steelers are concentrating their efforts and hedging their bets on veteran football players, as some of their key positions in both the offense and defensive teams are filled by individuals on their eighth season of football or more. Smith comes onto the team at 31 years old and with 10 seasons under his belt, and Williams brings eight seasons of NFL experience to the team at 30 years old. 

Smith joins the Pittsburgh Steelers’ defense as a linebacker, bringing his experience to the team and playing alongside veterans like linebacker T.J. Watt, who is 30, and defensive tackle Cameron Heyward, who is 35. In addition to being similar in terms of experience, Smith has also proven himself to be consistently strong in his performances, making him a good fit for the roster. For example, in his last season, Smith racked up 48 tackles and eight sacks, a clear display of stability and strength. An ever-present source of energy for the defensive lineups he plays in, the linebacker has also showcased his ability to be explosive off the line of scrimmage and pick-off passes. The Steelers adding him has left many with the impression that the defensive team is looking for a surge of energy halfway through the season, and they want players with experience, such as Smith, as the booster. 

While Williams is like Smith in terms of age, his addition to the team holds a different implication. Throughout the season, the Pittsburgh Steelers have been searching for a wide receiver that checks the necessary boxes and has finally landed on Williams to be the player who does just that. Williams comes to the Steel City from the Jets, and while he only had 12 catches over nine games, he has displayed his ability to spread the field and make pivotal catches. Many have speculated that Williams adds the necessary depth to compliment Russell Wilson, which in turn takes some of the pressure off George Pickens, who has been the only other wide receiver capable of building rapport with the quarterback so far this season. A big takeaway from this trade is that the Steelers have found the missing talent and skill set that they deemed necessary to complete their offensive team, and they hope that Williams will be able to mimic Pickens while adding his own personal style to the wide receiver position.