Behind the Steel Curtain
One insider believes the Steelers wouldn’t get a first-round pick in return for the All-Pro edge rusher.
The Pittsburgh Steelers have yet to come to an agreement with star edge rusher T.J. Watt on a long-term extension. The former Defensive Player of the Year is entering the final year of his current deal. This has led to much speculation that Pittsburgh could trade Watt.
And while very few people believe that would actually happen, the speculation has raged on through the dog days of the offseason. If Watt were to get traded, though, it’s assumed by many that the Steelers could recoup a first-round pick for the future Hall of Famer. However, that may not be the case.
Appearing on 93.7 The Fan in Pittsburgh, Nick Farabaugh of PennLive believes the Steelers wouldn’t receive a first-round pick in return for Watt should they trade him.
“There are not a lot of people saying first-round pick,” Farabaugh said.
Farabaugh noted that he thinks the compensation in a hypothetical Watt trade would be closer to a second-round pick and a fifth-round pick, but also notes the Steelers haven’t discussed trading Watt.
While some fans would find the lack of a first-round pick outrageous, Watt is 30, coming off one of the lower-production seasons of his career, and will garner a long-term extension that will all but certainly cost $40+ million per year - there aren’t too many teams that would line up to make that deal if it also involved giving up a first-round pick.
