Good Wednesday to you Steelers’ fans.
Late last evening (depending upon where you live) the Steelers traded a fifth round draft pick for Seattle tight end Nick Vannett. This is yet another move by the Steelers’ organization in recent weeks that signals a massive shift in how they’ve done business in the past. While I totally understood the move to get Minkah Fitzpatrick (proven player, team friendly contract) I’m not quite as sold on this one. OK, the Steelers needed tight end depth. We’ve been saying this since the spring, but I have concerns here. Vannett is scheduled to be a free agent at the end of this year. If Vannett plays well and puts up numbers better than any year he’s had previously (his best season was 2018 29 rec. 269 yards 3 TDs) then he’s going to want a raise. What also factors in here is how much he plays in place of Vance McDonald who is reportedly in a sling. If he starts at tight end for a majority of the season then he only increases his value and perhaps makes the Steelers look in other directions. I recognize the argument here. Giving up a fifth isn’t a big deal. In the short term, no it isn’t. But already without a first and a third (they do expect a comp for Le’Veon Bell), the Steelers could have used those to move up in the draft or garner more selections. There really isn’t a right or wrong here there are just different perspectives on how to go about all of this. Personally, I see it as desperation. This was an issue that any Steelers’ fan knew was hanging over them like boulder ready to fall off of a cliff. Hopefully it all works out but I’m not nearly as on board with this as I was with Fitzpatrick.
Is Kevin Colbert Done?
I firmly believe he is. I think this new found aggression of his is a sign that he’s throwing caution to the wind and will let the next guy worry about what is left. In my lifetime, I cannot recall the Steelers being so active in the trade market. I also have to wonder why they weren’t this aggressive over the past couple of years when the team was significantly closer to the postseason than they are now.
Tweet of the Day… Scott knows what he’s talking about.
Not to mention these picks could be their highest in a long time. https://t.co/dvECs8DD1q
— Scott Kacsmar (@ScottKacsmar) September 25, 2019
Using Vannett
It’s looking an awful lot like Vance McDonald won’t play or won’t be 100% on Sunday if he does. Vannett will immediately become the number two tight end. How much he plays will be based on how quickly he can absorb the playbook. His blocking is an immediate upgrade over both Xavier Grimble and Zach Gentry so I expect Randy Fichtner to get him involved as soon as possible even if on a limited basis. By week five I expect him to be a regular along with McDonald injury not withstanding.
My Standard Response
When I created SCB almost ten years ago the idea was to give honest opinions on the Steelers. Too often, all that I could read was positive, glowing reviews of everything they did and why not? They are the Steelers after all right? The truth is that even they make mistakes and when we see something we don’t agree with we are going to say so. A lot of people on social media don’t like that or don’t like that we dare share a negative opinion. While we understand this move for Vannett, we aren’t going to celebrate it. We believe in being honest and pragmatic.
Have a great day Steeler Nation!
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1 comment
I can’t STAND the people on social media who say you aren’t a “TRUE FAN” of the Steelers if you criticize the team, that you are a “bandwagoner.” That’s why I have fallen in love with SCB: you guys tell it like it is, whether good or bad. The Steelers don’t ALWAYS do the right things, and you guys have no problem pointing that out. On the flipside, when they do GREAT things, you guys celebrate and enjoy it just as much as the rest of Steeler Nation. Keep up the AWESOME work you are doing, and keep being REAL!