Dulac hints we might trade Watt...not as crazy as I initially thought?

Apparently Dulac suggests that we might trade Watt in the offseason.
https://steelersdepot.com/2025/12/i...rs-could-part-with-heyward-watt-in-offseason/

My first thought was that this would be insane because of cap ramifications.

But OTC says it's $30MM dead money ($12MM cap savings) and $10MM dead ($32MM cap savings) after Jun 1 (not this means there would also be dead money in the following season).

The problem is that if we did this, we'd want to do it before the draft, which means before June 1. Which makes it much harder to stomach.

While his production is down this year, I think his trade value might be higher than it would have been last off-season because the deal is done and we already paid the SB. So the cap hits for the other team would be less ($32MM, $32MM, $21MM +$15MM if they give him the roster bonus in the last year).

I think there's close to a 0% chance the team does this. But if we could get a 1st round pick this year, I'd strongly consider it. We aren't likely to be competitive for the rest of his contract. And a good young QB (if we think we can get that) is more important than even prime-TJ (which seems to be lost to history).

And we can use the cap savings to sign Herbig and still have two good edge rushers.

So...it won't happen. But it's not as crazy as I initially thought it was. Although the math works a lot better if we were talking post-Jun1. Draft compensation is probably higher because it would be for the following year.

But it's hard to trade away the face of the franchise for "we'll get some stuff next year".

If anyone is likely to get traded, it would be Cam (maybe with us restructuring first to make the compensation less for the other team). But I don't think we'd get much for him.

 

Cam likely retires and the only guys I could see being traded are Highsmith, PQ and Ramsey. TJs contract + decline of players just makes him unmoveable even if they wanted to trade him. And even if they pulled of a post-June 1st trade, we're probably getting nothing better than a 3rd.

 

It might be worth it for the savings on the cap. Of course, they should have traded him this past offseason rather than give him that insane contract.

 

I hear what you're saying. I think he plays here through 26 or 27 and then work on forced retirement type situation.

 

I think this is probably correct. And even with the favorable treatment of trades, the money probably still doesn't work.

I was just surprised that the dead money and cap hit on a trade isn't nearly as bad as I thought it would be (per OTC https://overthecap.com/player/t-j-watt/5614 )

I was surprised that it wasn't nearly as bad as cuts (for cut: dead money of $94MM pre jun1 or $74MM post Jun 1 ... cap loss of $52MM / $32MM).

I'd also be OK trading Highsmith...but I think the return wouldn't be all that strong either (maybe another 3rd at best?). Worth more on the roster I think.

I agree with you that the most likely situation is that he plays out his contract or retires a Steeler.

 

I'm thinking Highsmith nets a 3rd and a conditional 6th/7th. Not great return, but that 3rd and money saved could help fill 2 holes in the roster.

 

4-5 years too late

 

Trading Watt and/or Highsmith nets us Herbig/Harrison setting the edge with Sawyer/Leal as the primary backups.


Would the picks traded for be for 2026 or 2027? I think a team can receive up to 4 comp picks, but I don't know if there is a limit on total picks for a single draft. Not sure why there would be but I don't know for sure.


Different question. I know the defense gets younger and cheaper without Cam and Watt. Does the defense get better?

 

In the short term,likely not but who care....The steelers need a full rebuilding

 

Trade Watt for what?!


A Ham Sandwich with a pack of smokes?!

 

4 of 5 starting OL on rookie deals
Muuuuth on his 2nd contract, Mt. Washington on his rookie deal, CA3, Roman on rookie deals.
Warren is the elder RB in the room.
Howard is a rookie.


The entire DL outside of Cam is 26 and under
Half the LB room is on rookie contract
We have 3 promising young DBs in an otherwise aged secondary.


What needs a full rebuilding? I notice you have made this post multiple times. Is getting rid of all the veterans a full rebuild? Only keeping guys under a certain age a full rebuild? Fire every player and coach and start over from scratch a full rebuild? What exactly are your parameters for this full rebuild?

 

I think trading Highsmith allows for a Herbig/Sawyer platoon opposite TJ which means they'd have to draft a Edge somewhere in the 3-5th for depth. I'd say edge would be a wash/slightly worse and the defense being better/worse due to it depending on who's the DC next year.

 

They need to start over...They have too many starters at 30 years old or older on defense and the offense have been awful since 2019...They need more quantity and quality of young players...They are not at 1 or 2 years away to be true SB contender and it will be much longer than that if they continue to wait

 

I do worry about the overall skill of the defense without Watt, Highsmith, and Cam. Yes, they will all need to be replaced eventually. Right now this defense is not good. How bad is it if these 3 guys had to miss the rest of the season? I think their leadership is worth more to us than what they would bring in trade value. My opinion.

 

Instead of full rebuild, you just said start over. What is your definition of full rebuild/start over? How do YOU propose doing that? What is YOUR plan?

 

This only makes sense if they change HC and coaching staff. Otherwise, it will be all for naught again.

 

Stop signing old veterans, collect as many draft picks as you can by trading the players on your team that have the most value(this is too late for Watt,etc), even if the cap hit would be big afterward. Play your young players as much as possible, and in the end, make sure your offense and defense are good at the same time.

All of this would be a start, and if it's done well and the front office is great, it can be very quick,like 2-3 years. There are so many examples of this in the NFL over the last 15 years, and you don't need to be a tank for it to be successful; you just need competence and a good vision. The Steelers' vision is poor right now.

 

My definition of a full rebuild would look like this:

On Offense, its mostly young but needs a weapon or two more outside. And I let Aaron walk or retire, and Seamalu walk, or retire. DKs deal looks bad today but who knows what he'll look like in a better system/better QB play. I'd like to see more of Kaleb Johnson as Gainwell is here on a one year deal.

Defensively, there's a ok DL core developing with Black, Benton and Harmon, but they probably need at least one more starter and another depth piece.

Edge: Sawyer/Highsmith and TJ would be a solid starting group but needs another depth piece. TJs contract just makes him impossible to move. Gotta wait until after 26 or to make decisions about him.

ILB: I'd trade PQ in a NY minute and id let Holcomb walk; that leaves us Wilson and Harrison moving forward, so we'd definitely need to look in the draft to get another guy.

CB: Porter and Echols looks to be viable short and long-term answers if Echols wants to return after 26. I do not know if Asante will return to form or not, but I'd sure as hell would like to find out. If he does return to form, we have this position group set for the next 3-4 years.

S: Dugger and Peppers are both 29 on expiring contracts, so I let them both walk. Ramsey is interesting as he could be a leader in the locker room, but I don't see him as a long-term piece as he's currently 31.

Holes: LG, WR 1/2, QB, DL (1 or 2 more guys) Edge depth, CB depth (maybe want more than need), S

Perhaps not as bad as initially thought, but I just don't want another offseason of Tomlin/Khan/Weidl bringing in geriatric talent. Go with what we got post draft and continue filling holes in the draft.

 

Here are some points as I see them.

Trade Watt away for what purpose? It gives us a bunch more cap space (outside of what we have to eat on the deal). What do we do with that extra money? Hire another old QB that has been released from somewhere else? Watt is still good, albeit overpaid for his performance. Trading him away has to go hand in hand with a specific goal. I am tired of band aids to make us 'competitive'...otherwise known as another winning season.

I am not against trading Watt (I was against it before this season) because he has seems to have started the age decline. He is still really good, but he is no longer the best player on the field when he is out there. He no longer makes a play no matter what he is against. But trading him must further the team along the path of getting to the SB. Get rid of him so that we can pick up a new DB in the 3rd round? Poor return on the trade. Get rid of him to free up cap space so that we can sign a new to us (but old in the league) qb on a 2 year 50 million deal?

IMO, the pieces are not there waiting on that key player or two that can push us over the hump. We are weak in coaching and many other positions as well. Band aids are no longer viable. We need surgery.

The Steelers need to get younger. We need new talent. We need some serious work at multiple coaching positions. Until that happens, we are nowhere near being competitive. I am fine with keeping Watt until trading him away is worth more than keeping him. Right now, trading him is just not going to give us a push in the right direction. It would just be the SSDD. To get to the point where it makes sense to trade him, the team needs to have a long term plan with the goal of getting to the SB.

 

Yeah its too late. His trade value has dropped significantly since the start of the season.

 

Now what TJ and Cam really need is handful of new coaches starting with y'all know who.
Steelers could have 5 first rounders next year and at least 2 or 3 would be ruined by Fall.
Trade Tomlin and Smith for what you can get plus a wheel barrow.
Even the Pirates axed their Manager. Didn't help. New hungry Owners is watts needed

 

I wonder if this is true.

Anyone who would have traded for him prior to his extension would have had to part with a bunch of draft picks AND a big contract.

But anyone trading for him now would have us paying him his signing bonus. Not quite as great as the Minkah date was for us because he was on a rookie deal. But still good.

Watt is also still a better player than his production. A big part of his lack of production is that basically every team we play has their shortest time to throw of the season when they play us (e.g. Allen in Buffalo this week).

Other teams have to look at that and say "if we can just cover people for 2 seconds, he's still going to be awesome". But somehow, we haven't been able to crack that nut for a couple years.

 

That is what I refer to as natural progression. Draft for game changers in the first round. Draft for need after that.