Pittsburgh Steelers trade 5th round pick to Seattle Seahawks for TE Nick Vannett

The Pittsburgh Steelers have agreed to send a fifth round pick to the Seattle Seahawks for tight end Nick Vannett. It would appear the medical news on Vance McDonald isn't good and the Steelers have opted to make a trade for a cheap, veteran tight end to replace him for what seems like it could be a significant amount of time.

The #Steelers traded a fifth-round pick in 2020 to the #Seahawks for TE Nick Vannett, source said. Needed help with Vance McDonald banged up and paid the price to get it. Vannett has 48 career catches and 4 TDs.
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) September 25, 2019

Beyond the fact the Steelers would be losing a good tight end in McDonald who has had terrible luck with injuries that tend to keep him out for significant stretches of seasons, the other part of this is how the Steelers have given away another 2020 draft pick in a trade for a player.

The team traded up with the Denver Broncos to get Devin Bush in the first round of this year's draft and then traded their 2020 first round pick to acquire Minkah Fitzpatrick from the Miami Dolphins. The Steelers still control their second, own fourth, a fourth from the Dolphins, their sixth and seventh and expect to get a third round compensatory pick for the 2020 NFL Draft.

Nick Vannett is a fourth year tight end out of Ohio State that has been a reasonably solid second tight end that could provide the occasional reception that moves the chains or results in a touchdown. Now, he'll be in the mix with Xavier Grimble to fill the void left by McDonald.

The Steelers obviously needed tight end help, which explains the move, but given the fact they now sit at 0-3, it's at least curious they keep trading draft picks for players. In fairness to them, this fifth round pick wasn't theirs anyway, so their performance doesn't impact where it lands in the draft. Vannett and Grimble are scheduled to be free agents after the season.