The Pittsburgh Steelers and the rest of the NFL are approaching the Nov. 10 trade deadline. Pittsburgh has been doing its due diligence and monitoring several big names ahead of the deadline. However, the Steelers may have an advantage that few, if any, other potential buyers can match. After taking on the Cleveland Browns on Sunday, Pittsburgh will have a bye in Week 9.
With the trade deadline falling immediately after the conclusion of Week 9, this scheduling quirk could give the Steelers a significant advantage. Only Pittsburgh and the Tennessee Titans have a bye that week. With the Titans trading away Jeffery Simmons, the indication is that they are sellers. That leaves the Steelers as the only apparent buyers with a bye directly before the trade deadline.
How the Bye Week Scheduling Can Benefit the Steelers
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Pittsburgh won’t have a game plan to construct for Week 9, allowing the coaching staff to focus on an extra week of practice, preparation and self-evaluation. More importantly, the coaching staff and front office can closely monitor how Week 9 unfolds and scout potential trade options as games play out. While 30 other teams prepare for their next opponents, the Steelers can shift their attention toward evaluating the trade market.
Will this create an earth-shattering advantage? Probably not. Like Pittsburgh, the other 31 teams have already done their due diligence on the trade targets they’re interested in acquiring. However, the extra time could allow the Steelers to stay a step ahead of the competition, depending on which players they are targeting.
One game in particular to watch is the Colts’ matchup against the Cowboys, along with the Jaguars’ game against the Ravens in Week 9. Both Indianapolis and Jacksonville have potential wide receiver trade targets for the Steelers.
If the Colts lose their next two games, Pittsburgh could gain some negotiating leverage in a potential deal for Josh Downs, assuming Indianapolis hasn’t already traded him by Week 9.
Similarly, if Brian Thomas Jr. continues to struggle to make an impact for the Jaguars over the next two weeks, the Steelers could find themselves in a better position to negotiate an acquisition.
Neither scenario is guaranteed to unfold as described, but they illustrate how Pittsburgh can directly monitor potential trade situations as they develop and act quickly. Ultimately, the Steelers will have an opportunity to spend their bye week in scouting mode as they look to strengthen their roster for a playoff push.
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