3 NFL Trades That Now Impact the Steelers
Coinciding with the Presidential Election, the majority of the spotlight from the NFL's 4 P.M. trade deadline on Tuesday was shared on one of the most important days in American history. While voters flocked to polls, front office personnel across the league made their own respective votes of confidence by the moves (or lack of) made for their teams.
The Pittsburgh Steelers, still the league's sole undefeated team at 7-0, made themselves one of a handful of teams to make a transaction near the trade deadline by bringing in New York Jets inside linebacker Avery Williamson for much-needed depth.
Big names such as New England Patriots cornerback Stephon Gilmore and Houston Texans receiver Will Fuller dominated headlines up until the last minute of the deadline despite ultimately not being moved. Whether by design, uncertainty, or simply high expectations that weren't able to be met, the league's trade deadline remained relatively quiet compared to past seasons.
However, moves were still made to better both the Steelers and the competitive teams around them prior to the deadline:
Chargers Send CB Desmond King to Titans
For a mere sixth-round selection, the Tennessee Titans add an All-Pro cornerback to their defensive backfield.
After back-to-back losses to Pittsburgh and Cincinnati, the Titans' 27th-ranked pass defense (268 yards per game, 17 passing touchdowns) attempt to solidify their secondary with King's presence. Capable of playing all over the secondary, King will likely see time at the nickel cornerback position with rookie defensive back Kristian Fulton still on injured reserve.
In their meeting two weeks ago, the Steelers saw three different pass-catchers find success against Tennessee's pass defense, as JuJu Smith-Schuster (9 receptions for 85 yards), Diontae Johnson (9 receptions, 80 yards, 2 touchdowns) and Eric Ebron (6 receptions, 50 yards) had fairly significant outings on the field. With the Steelers averaging just under four yards per carry against the Titans, Pittsburgh's aerial attack proved pivotal in their first meeting.
Will King be able to assist in slowing down either Johnson or Smith-Schuster in a possible second match-up? That remains to be seen. Should both teams move forward to the postseason, round two of Steelers/Titans may see a wrinkle in the oh-so pivotal skill position match-up should King prove himself capable between now and then.
Ravens Add Yannick Ngakoue to Pass Rush Arsenal
Steelers fans saw the debut of Ngakoue in a Baltimore Ravens uniform following a trade from Minnesota that saw the Vikings receive a mixture of third/fifth-round picks for the dominant pass-rusher.
Ngakoue was rather quiet in his first game at M&T Bank Stadium, playing just 34 snaps and recording one tackle during his first taste of action. Don't expect that trend to continue, as the more settled in and familiar Ngakoue is with Baltimore's defense, the more efficient he'll be able to be.
With a top-five pass rush (24 sacks) prior to adding Ngakoue's five sack production thus far in 2020, Baltimore's ability to rush the passer has only expanded with their newest addition to the front seven.
Sacking quarterback Ben Roethlisberger twice last Sunday without Ngakoue's true presence, it's likely to assume the Ravens will be better equipped to bring the heat when they travel to Heinz Field for a Thanksgiving match-up. With both teams also projected to make the playoffs, the move for Ngakoue may provide another puzzle for Pittsburgh's offensive line to solve on more than just one occasion moving forward.
Bengals Send DE Carlos Dunlap Packing, Welcome Familiar Face on Offensive Line
With a big name pass-rusher welcomed into AFC North, we also saw another depart the division. The Cincinnati Bengals sent defensive end Carlos Dunlap to the Seattle Seahawks for a seventh-round pick and a player that we'll discuss in a moment. The trade appeared to be mutual among both player and team, as Dunlap had grown increasingly frustrated with his role on the team.
Dunlap, who has accumulated 82.5 sacks during his time in Cincinnati, has played just 52% of snaps for the Bengals this season with just one sack to his resume in 2020. With the Bengals tallying just 11 sacks on the season thus far (T-26th in the NFL), Dunlap's production may not be entirely missed. However, a player such as Dunlap's caliber will always carry a presence when gameplanning that week.
In part of the return for Dunlap, former Steelers starter B.J. Finney now finds himself in rival colors. Despite signing a two-year deal worth up to $8 million, Finney has yet to play an offensive snap this season. With a plethora of starters out on Cincinnati's offensive line, it appears Finney will get the opportunity to play right away.
With both divisional meetings against the Bengals still to be played, it remains to be seen how different Cincinnati will look when they face the Steelers. With the Bengals allowing the second-most sacks in the league (28), Finney's presence will likely be a welcome sight for rookie quarterback Joe Burrow.
In total, the loss of Dunlap with the addition of Finney shouldn't dramatically change anything, so long as the Steelers are able to prove they're the superior team in both meetings. Dunlap simply wasn't being productive in his snaps in 2020, while Finney cannot solely improve the Bengals' offensive line himself.
Ranking Potential of Moves
All the above moves have potential to impact the Steelers in one way or another, despite a relatively quiet deadline considering the names that were floated among the market. So how will those moves pan out, and how much of a difference do they make in the long run for Pittsburgh's plans in late January?
Ranking every move's potential:
1. Ngakoue to Baltimore - This move, in my humble opinion, has the potential to truly alter a Steelers-Ravens meeting, especially in the postseason. Ngakoue's pass-rushing presence has shown to be game-altering, and should he find his rhythm as a Raven, life may be difficult for the Steelers' offensive line.
2. King to Tennessee - Purely in terms of big-picture thinking, the Steelers' playoff hopes may potentially show a second game vs the Titans, and in that theoretical match-up, an All-Pro cornerback would now roam the defensive secondary. That may somewhat slow down Pittsburgh's passing attack in a game that may require the Steelers to air it out.
3. Finney to Cincinnati - Two meetings with the Bengals are set for the Steelers, yet due to the Bengals' poor record thus far and overall state of the team, an offensive guard simply doesn't appear to be the elixir for a plethora of problems in Cincinnati during the regular season.
Donnie Druin is a Staff Writer with AllSteelers. Follow Donnie on Twitter @DonnieDruin, and AllSteelers @si_steelers.
