Steelers Smartest Roster Move Was a Trade

The Pittsburgh Steelers had a few headline-worthy moves on roster deadline day, but their best didn't come as a cut.

Pittsburgh Steelers

PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Steelers made several notable and surprising moves as they finalized their initial 53-man roster for the regular season.

The Steelers parted with veteran players like Elandon Roberts and Malik Harrison, plus sent second-year running back Kaleb Johnson to the Green Bay Packers in an effort to trim the fat. Before the team kicks off for their regular season opener against the Atlanta Falcons, the roster is bound to change even more. Until then, the team's biggest additions have come via subtraction.

In many ways, the Broderick Jones experiment will go down as a failure in Pittsburgh, but this trade is anything but. It’s far and away the best move the team made ahead of the regular season.

Addition By Subtraction

With Jones now with the Cowboys, the Steelers do have an immediate problem to address. They are now down one depth option at tackle, and that puts even more pressure on rookie Max Iheanachor and journeyman Dylan Cook. The duo will have to figure out the right tackle position unless the franchise has plans to bring another player in before Week 1.

Despite this issue, the Steelers clearly viewed this deal as addition by subtraction. Even with the problems his trade created, the organization still found draft picks to be worth more than having Jones on the roster.

Aug 13, 2026; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers offensive tackle Broderick Jones (77) looks for someone to block as tight end Robert Tonyan (83) carries the ball during the first half of a game against the Green Bay Packers at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Barry Reeger-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Why the Trade Was Excellent for Steelers

The Steelers acquired a third and sixth-round pick from the Dallas Cowboys in exchange for Jones and a fourth-round draft choice.

In a nutshell, this is an overwhelming victory for the Steelers. The fact that they were able to receive any assets in return for Jones is incredible. Over his time with the organization, the talented tackle could not figure out the complexity of the tackle position. Sure, the franchise did him no favors by switching him back and forth between the left and right side of the line. Even still, it didn't matter which side Jones found himself on. Left tackle or right tackle, Jones couldn't figure it out.

And that's why the Steelers needed to act. The franchise swung and missed when they selected him in the first round of the draft four years ago, but they needed to make things right.

Omar Khan did just that. Not only was he able to cast off the maligned lineman, but he was also able to get a valuable draft pick in return.

That's a huge win for the Steelers. Not only was it a huge win, but it was also the team's best move as they trimmed the roster down before the regular season.

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