With cutdowns just around the corner, I\u2019m offering a couple of last-second trade ideas the Pittsburgh Steelers could consider. Hypothetical exercises of what makes sense based on the team\u2019s roster construction and needs.<\/p>\n
Let me know your thoughts on these deals and suggest any of your own below.<\/p>\n
Trading Players<\/p>\n
Scenario One<\/p>\n
Cowboys Get: Kaleb Johnson, 7th-Round Pick
Steelers Get: 6th-Round Pick<\/p>\n
A trade scenario hypothesized many times already this summer. Dallas is thin at running back and could use a No. 3 on its roster. The Cowboys showed moderate interest in Johnson ahead of last year\u2019s draft, having a formal meeting with him at the Combine.<\/p>\n
Based on his summer showing, there\u2019s little belief Johnson will make the Steelers\u2019 roster or what value he could offer it.\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n Even with Johnson having three years left on his deal, 2026 included, his appeal is minimal. Running backs typically don\u2019t have the value of high-priority positions like offensive line and cornerback. Teams won\u2019t spend too much on a player they could claim off waivers, but a trade still guarantees Dallas lands Johnson. The pick swap makes it a minor move. Pittsburgh gets back the sixth-round pick it sent to Dallas as part of the George Pickens trade.<\/p>\n Scenario Two<\/p>\n Rams Get: Kaleb Johnson, 7th-Round Pick Identical trade terms but a far less discussed team. Many projections have the Rams keeping four running backs, making it more palatable to keep someone like Johnson. Johnson was at his best in Iowa\u2019s offense with plenty of tight ends and under-center runs. Last year, Sean McVay transformed the Rams offense from 11 personnel and shotgun-heavy to full of 12 and 13 personnel. Per Sumer Sports, Los Angeles ran 331 snaps out of 13 personnel<\/a> in 2025. The next-closest team was the Steelers with 140 of them.<\/p>\n ESPN recently noted that the Rams led the league in under-center snaps<\/a> a year ago at a whopping 60 percent of the time. Los Angeles was one of just three teams to do so on more than half its snaps.<\/p>\n That makes for a better fit for Johnson even if he\u2019ll have to adjust to the Rams\u2019 more gap-heavy scheme than the outside zone system Johnson was part of at Iowa. As a bigger and slower back, that could fit Johnson\u2019s skill set better anyway. Los Angeles just traded RB Jarquez Hunter, competing for a roster spot, to the Miami Dolphins for WR Tutu Atwell. Maybe that means rookie Dean Connors is getting the spot instead, but it makes the roster math easier for someone like Johnson.<\/p>\n Los Angeles has shown no fear in trading draft capital for players, and this would be a minor deal. As with Kevin Dotson, putting a player in a position better suited to their talents can transform careers, and the Rams could make the same calculation with Johnson.<\/p>\n Trading For Players<\/p>\n Steelers Trade: 5th-Round Pick If the Steelers feel like they need to make another wide receiver move before the season because they don\u2019t have enough trust in Roman Wilson or Germie Bernard, Flournoy could be the answer.<\/p>\n The issue with trading for a wide receiver is him getting up to speed in Mike McCarthy\u2019s offense. Ideally, Pittsburgh targets someone already familiar with it. Flournoy fits that bill. A sixth-round pick of Dallas in 2024 ahead of McCarthy\u2019s final season, injuries and talent ahead muted his impact as a rookie, but he ascended and played well last season under Brian Schottenheimer. He finished the year with 40 receptions for 475 yards and four touchdowns.<\/p>\n Flournoy currently slots as Dallas\u2019 No. 3 wideout behind CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens. But UDFA Camden Brown has impressed all summer, with some analysts wondering<\/a> if Flournoy could get traded.<\/p>\n Dallas has good reasons to stand pat and keep Flournoy. Depth is key, and Pickens isn\u2019t guaranteed to re-sign after the year. But if Pittsburgh can present a strong enough offer, the Cowboys might budge.<\/p>\n Dallas is without a fourth- and fifth-round pick in the 2027 NFL Draft. The Steelers sending a fifth would return the pick the Cowboys sent as part of the George Pickens trade, the inverse of the above Kaleb Johnson deal.<\/p>\n
Steelers Get: 6th-Round Pick<\/p>\n
Cowboys Trade: WR Ryan Flournoy<\/p>\n