ESPN reached out to its various NFL writers to get an idea of which player on each team is the most viable target to be traded away. Brooke Pryor covered the Pittsburgh Steelers and she thinks cornerback Artie Burns is the guy the Steelers would most likely trade before the October 29 trade deadline.
After starting every game in 2017, the former first-round pick’s contributions have taken a significant decline since he was benched for most of the final seven games of the 2018 season. This season, he has taken a backseat to free-agent acquisition Steven Nelson, though Burns got his first start against the Chargers with Nelson out due to injury. Burns played well enough to earn a game ball against the Chargers, but he’ll go back to playing a limited role once Nelson comes back. Burns is in the last year of his rookie deal, and he seems a likely candidate to depart in free agency. The team, though, could trade him now and get a boost in another area like wide receiver.
The emergence of Cam Sutton as one of the top cornerbacks on the roster makes this scenario entirely realistic. Joe Haden, Steven Nelson, Sutton and Mike Hilton form the best cornerback unit this team has had in a very long time. Last season, Burns fell flat and wrecked any trade value he might have.
But this season, Burns looks to have much of his confidence back and could provide some team a solid depth player.
