Pittsburgh Steelers General manager Kevin Colbert told reporters Monday that he has no interest in trading up to get a player. But what about trading back a few spots to get more picks? Don't count it out. Or, at least Pittsburgh could look into it, see what's available for the franchise's potential first drop-back in the first round since the Casey Hampton move in 2001.
The late-round quarterback struggle is real: Colin Kaepernick isn't taking Elway's $7-million-a-year offer, and Elway has the job security to draft a developmental quarterback and not think twice. If Paxton Lynch falls to the early 20s, Elway could start calling teams in that range to move up. Also, Connor Cook and Christian Hackenberg are inaccurate, but talented enough for Elway to want to fix. These two might not be good enough to warrant a trade-up, but the Steelers could benefit from a mini-quarterback run if teams get desperate, serving as a placeholder for the Broncos to acquire a quarterback.
Serious depth at DT, DB: Colbert said something interesting at his news conference -- basically, if you draft a second-round-caliber cornerback in the first round, you're not getting a first-round cornerback. You're getting a second-rounder. There's a realistic chance the Steelers know they can't get a top cornerback in the 20s, but can get one of a cluster of good-to-solid options in the second. Think Miami's Artie Burns or Virginia Tech's Kendall Fuller or Baylor's Xavien Howard. The Steelers could ask for the Broncos' No. 31, 94 and 157th overall picks in exchange for No. 25 and 229th overall pick.
The Steelers want more picks: Brandon Boykin and Josh Scobee. Those names sting this time of year, because the Steelers gave up a fifth- and sixth-round picks to get them for one season. This leaves the Steelers with seven overall picks, but none between picks 124 and 219. That's a long wait. When general managers give up picks in trades, they want nothing more than to get picks back. This might be a chance.
