© Kareem Elgazzar/The Enquirer / USA TODAY
Steelers Could Make CB Trade With Bengals
The Pittsburgh Steelers may be able to get their hands on a first-round pick.
PITTSBURGH -- The Pittsburgh Steelers haven't been afraid to be aggressive this offseason. To this point, they've traded wide receiver Diontae Johnson and quarterback Kenny Pickett, acquired Justin Fields from the Chicago Bears and signed Russell Wilson, Patrick Queen and DeShon Elliott - all making major headlines due to the height of the deals.
Maybe they aren't done. Right now, rumors are swirling about the Steelers looking at wide receivers, with Brandon Aiyuk leading the news cycle. But if San Francisco and Pittsburgh can't work out a deal, the Steelers may look elsewhere to acquire more resources. It won't be for a wide receiver, but maybe a defensive back makes sense for this team.
Two years ago, the Bengals used their first-round pick on defensive back Dax Hill. Since then, he's been demoted, not working out at the safety position, forcing the team to sign Geno Stone and Vonn Bell. Cincinnati informed him they would look elsewhere, and now, the question is where he'll play in 2024.
"I appreciate that, just having that conversation before things turned out and just hearing them out on why they did the things they did," Hill told the team site. "Whatever happened, I can't control that. I'm just going to put my best foot forward … I'm not really stressing out about what's to come. I've been through so much the first two years, it's nothing that I'm not used to.
"We'll see how things go, but everything's kind of just up in the air, we'll see how things go and just play it from there. Whatever they ask of me, whatever that is, I'm going do it. But I mean, whatever the position that I'll be in, I'm going to give it my all."
Cincinnati still has Mike Hilton under contract, clearing a need for a slot cornerback. Hill has experience playing both positions in college, but in the Bengals defense, he doesn't really have a place to insert himself.
Meanwhile, he would fit with ease in Pittsburgh's.
The Steelers need a slot cornerback. Hill provides that with plenty of upside and likely wouldn't cost an arm and a leg due to his decreased role in Cincinnati. If he's looking for an opportunity and the Bengals are looking for cost before realizing they don't have a place for him, why wouldn't a trade work?
The Steelers have pulled off in-division trades before. A Tee Higgins splash may be out of the realm of possibilities, but Hill may be sliding enough that Cincinnati is willing to take a risk.
With two years left on his rookie deal and the potential of a fifth-year option, Hill is worth a move for a Day 2 or lower pick. And if the Steelers feel Cincinnati would even consider it, they should - and could - make a call.
