In what has been the busiest offseason/season maybe ever for the Pittsburgh Steelers, they made yet another move on Tuesday night. This time it was to make a trade with the Seattle Seahawks to acquire tight end Nick Vannett. This is on top of the team signing tight end Alize Mack to the practice squad on Tuesday as well.
What does the addition of Vannett mean for the team?
It means Vance McDonald is really hurt
Unfortunately, for as interesting as McDonald’s potential is, his inability to stay healthy will always limit what he can do. Trading a fifth-round pick for a backup tight end tells me the Steelers are bracing for McDonald being out for an extended period of time.
The tight ends on the roster stink
Again, if the talent was there, this move doesn’t have to happen. Xavier Grimble is more athlete than football player and the handful of guys behind him on the roster and the practice squad offer little.
The front office dropped the ball
Pittsburgh had ample opportunity to shore up the tight end depth chart in the offseason. After letting Jesse James leave Pittsburgh did nothing of substance to replace him. Because of this lax attitude they now have to spend a fifth-round pick on a backup tight end in the final year of his rookie contract.
