When I woke up this morning and pondered today’s topic, the Steelers were not on my mind. The NHL draft occurred over the weekend and free agency starts tomorrow. The Pirates swept the Mets, outscoring a team with a $300+ million payroll by a 30-4 margin. They forced the Mets to hold a players-only meeting as each game was won by seven or more runs. Some of the Buccos’ much-maligned bats even woke up, with Ke’Bryan Hayes and Tommy Pham potentially upping their trade value as the deadline begins to appear in the distance. 

Initially, I was going to give a preview of the Pirates’ 2025 trade deadline scenarios. That was halted when the Steelers decided to make a blockbuster trade with the Miami Dolphins. They acquired DB Jalen Ramsey, TE Jonnu Smith, and a 2027 7th-round pick for DB Minkah Fitzpatrick and a 2027 5th-round pick. 

To put it mildly, I was stunned. The information about the trade leaked out piecewise. At first, it was just noted that the Steelers acquired Jalen Ramsey. Then, it became known that Minkah Fitzpatrick was the return for the Dolphins. Shortly thereafter, the Jonnu Smith acquisition and pick swap were added, and the deal could be observed in full. 

Jalen Ramsey is a great cornerback. He has three first-team all-pro selections (2017, 2020, 2021) and seven pro bowl appearances (being selected every season between 2017-2023). He was on the Pro Football Writers Association All-Rookie Team in 2016 and won Super Bowl LVI with the Rams. Ramsey also signed a three-year, $72.3 million contract with the Dolphins in September 2024. 

With that being said, I did not want him, especially with Minkah Fitzpatrick being part of the return. Minkah is two years younger (28 versus 30) and has the same number of first-team all-pro selections (three). He is also a five-time pro bowler and is making less money per year (he signed a four-year, $73.61 million deal in June 2022) than Ramsey. 

By all accounts, Minkah had a down year in 2024-25. I do not think that is a disputable statement. However, he was also playing in a different role than the one to which he had grown accustomed. He was playing more of a “center fielder” position than the normal free safety position that he occupied in years past. The other issue with trading Minkah is the Steelers’ dearth of talent at the safety position. The projected starters are now DeShon Elliott and Juan Thornhill, the latter of whom is on a one-year deal after being released by the Browns in February. While the cornerback position is not that much better, the offseason signings of Brandin Echols and Darius Slay certainly made the position less of a necessity. 

Where does Jonnu Smith fit into the Arthur Smith offense? Well, Smith has had him in Tennessee, Atlanta, and now in Pittsburgh, so I would imagine Art knows how to utilize him. Jonnu made his first career pro bowler last season, finishing the year with 88 catches for 884 yards and eight touchdowns. The 29 year-old will be utilized…but the Steelers have spent draft capital on multiple tight ends in recent years (a second-rounder on Pat Freiermuth and a third on Darnell Washington). Wide receiver would have been a better area of need to attack, especially with the departure of George Pickens. Maybe Jonnu can be used as a receiver?

The trade as a whole just does not make a ton of sense to be, especially when you factor in that the Steelers gave Ramsey a raise. They are spending money on new players instead of trying to lock up T.J. Watt for the foreseeable future. If they do not want to keep Watt, fine, but you should not be going all-in with other moves if that is the case. 

The front office is sending a ton of mixed messages with the moves they have made this offseason. This blockbuster of a trade may be the most head-scratching one yet. At some point, you just have to ask yourself if they have any clue what is going on.