Earlier today during the off season as teams prepare for training camp to take place in roughly a month. The Pittsburgh Steelers traded with the Miami Dolphins. They sent 28-year-old, five-time pro bowler Minkah Fitzpatrick back to the sunshine of Miami. In return, the black and gold brigade will get 30-year-old, seven-time pro bowler Jalen Ramsey. They will also acquire Jonnu Smith from the Miami Dolphins. Whether or not this move will work out is beyond me. Still, as a Steelers enthusiast, I can’t help but be somewhat optimistic about the trade. I hope it works out. I must say, Jalen Ramsey has the credentials of an elite cornerback in the NFL. Ramsey has played 135 games in his NFL career. Four of these were against Pittsburgh. He has totaled 24 interceptions and 267 yards. Fitzpatrick on the other hand has 106 games under his belt with 20 interceptions for over 400 yards. Some casual fans analyzing the trade may overlook the draft picks. The Steelers will get a seventh-round pick for 2027. The Dolphins have a fifth-round pick also for 2027. Jonnu Smith who is a lesser-known player in this trade, will be a good backup at TE for Pat Freiermuth. During his carrer, Smith has played in 124 games and gotten over 3,000 yards in his career. The FIU alum will leave his college state of florida and come home to his Birth state of Pennsylvania.

Everyone has a predetermined idea of what this trade means. People also have ideas about how it will affect both franchises in the future. Me personally, I would rather have Minkah but that’s my own opinion. Both the headline players in this trade are stars. Fitzpatrick has garnered himself as an icon with the Pittsburgh Steelers. Now, will Ramsey be the leading force to his 2nd ring and the franchises 7th Lombardi? It’s unlikely we’ll see that soon. Yet if the rumors that TJ Watt is in the works on a contract extension. Any Steelers fan would be grateful that the defense is building. At present, there are two well-known athletes in the NFL being moved around. This is one of the most popular trades this offseason. During my research of this trade and using what I already know. Here is the official prediction I will make for how the trade affected these teams.

Dan-alytics:

Pittsburgh Steelers:

Lost the trade. Only got a seventh-round pick and while notable figures like Brock Purdy have come from the seventh round. Similar to Miami this pick could either be a diamond in the rough or a complete bust. At this time, it is too hard to tell. Jalen Ramsey has made a name for himself and has mostly been used as a supporting cast member. He will take on this role for the defense. There will be no need for him to act as a leader. This is Cam Heywards, TJ Watt, and Alex Highsmith’s defense and will continue to be for the near future. Jonnu Smith will be a good backup. He will help if Pat Freiermuth ends up getting injured.

Miami Dolphins:

Won the trade. They got a fifth-round pick, which may be a diamond in the rough. This pick gets them some ground to stand on. Minkah, I believe is the better player, but we’ll see how he adapts back in the sunshine state. While they have a semi-decent defense heading into 2025.There is no doubt that Fitzpatrick will be the leader to help Miami rival others in the AFC East.

In conclusion I have one thing to say. Why Not? This isn’t the first time the city of Miami got a generational player from Pittsburgh (Dan Marino).

After my beloved Pittsburgh Steelers pulled the checkbook out. They signed future hall of fame quarterback Aaron Rodgers for a 1 year $13.65 Million contract (with $10 Million guaranteed). One thing was made very clear to me after hearing this news. The Steelers are not as defense-driven as they have been in the past. Now do I think that this signing undermines the entire core of their team? No, I do not think this, but I do think this will affect the defense. Whether or not this will be a positive or negative shift, we will have to get closer to the preseason. What I can see now though is the defense, and there are a lot of positive adjustments being made there. Pittsburgh has always been a “defense wins championships” type of franchise. Even looking all the way back to 1969, when arguably the most known player in franchise history was drafted. Defensive Tackle Charles “Mean Joe” Greene was drafted. He has since been the leading member of the history behind the Steelers defense. From the Steel Curtain, to Blitzburgh, to the 2000s crew led by Joey Porter. Pittsburgh has had a longstanding tradition in Defense. Therefore let’s analyze this current era of defense and how it will look moving forward. 

Let’s begin with an overview of how the defense looks heading into the 2025 year. For starters, Derrick Harmon looks to be a promising rookie. Steelers Defensive line coach Karl Dunbar has named him the starter. Other notable key figures in this roster are linebackers TJ Watt and Alex Highsmith. The Eagles’ rumored $68 Million contract offer for Highsmith in a trade proposal is alarming news for us Steelers fans. Our defense relies on him. He forms the perfect duo with Watt. Together, they keep the defense as the core of our required gameplan to success. Brandon Graham who is retiring makes the landscape that much more that Highsmith is traded. While his contract runs through 2027, one can only imagine if he will be moved to a different team. I mention this because the Steelers’ salary cap is affected by Rodgers. They will need to reorganize the defensive checkbook. Their defense has many loyal players. These include Cam Heyward and TJ Watt who seem unlikely to leave for a higher paycheck. That doesn’t mean everyone will apply to this logic, and even then Watt and Heyward will need a reasonable extension. As of now, Watt’s current deal will expire at the end of the 2025 season. Heyward’s will expire after 2026. It seems like a long time away. We need to be aware that Watt is looking for a contract similar to Myles Garrett.

Throughout the Aaron Rodgers news hitting the NFL world by storm, with some thinking this news was almost inevitable. It finally came true after two months of speculation. Now the Black and Gold will have some new challenges for 2025. TJ Watt and Cam Heyward are already established leaders. They need to mentor the defense. Let the offense do their thing. While this seems like it will work in a perfect world, we must acknowledge an important and difficult reality. Watt will want to be paid and while it is certainly deserved, it may affect the offense. Hopefully this influences Rodgers to retire after one season. That way, they can pay TJ in 2026. If this is how things are expected to end, why did they even sign Aaron initially? My theory is to have someone with more experience. This person can hopefully mentor Will Howard. Will Howard was a superstar at the NCAA level. Rodgers signing to Pittsburgh is certainly a “brand name” quarterback. We’ll have to see if his play can live up to the Rodgers image. The defense will certainly be affected because of how a team operates. The actions of the offense affect defense, and the opposite. With that being said, TJ Watt is the leader of the steelers and practically the new face of the franchise. Thus, no matter how the offense plays this season, it will come down to the Steelers defense. They must go out there. They need to play the best football week in and week out. For the purpose of continuing on the tradition and legacy of Pittsburgh Steelers football.

Rudolph has the opportunity to start for the black and gold brigade in the 2025 season. He will face a struggling New York Jets franchise. What most people tend to do is overlook Mason Rudolph and make assumptions that he falls to pressure. While there won’t be “season on the line” pressure, the situation will test him. The 29-year-old could lose his job to Howard. That is contingent however on how he performs in the first 3 games of the regular season. Rudolph can still play when needed. He proved this by leading the Steelers to a win. They defeated division rival Cincinnati Bengals 34-11. (I was at that game). When we observe games like this, we see that Rudolph has shown recent evidence. He can lead an offense. In one game, he threw for 290 yards and 2 touchdowns. Those who know the NFL well, however, also realize a QB is only as good as his receivers. Rudolph had quality receivers. George Pickens (his main target) had 4 receptions for 2 touchdowns and 195 yards. Counterpart Allen Robinson, having 4 receptions for 36 yards. Pittsburgh is in a similar situation. They have Jalen Warren at running back for assistance. The receivers include DK Metcalf and many others that are unknown at this time. Pittsburgh’s receiving core overall will be different from years past, but Metcalf is an established veteran. My confusion lies in what Pittsburgh was thinking in the George Pickens trade. I’m confused. If Pittsburgh was already planning to trade Pickens, why didn’t they go for a wide receiver in the draft? I’m not saying get a receiver instead of Derrick Harmon in the first round. I’m saying possibly go with someone like Isaiah Bond in the 2nd or 3rd round. Where the offense will shine however is with rushing, while Najee Harris left for LA. This should not negatively affect the Steelers since they have Jaylen Warren, and Trey Sermon, a former Buckeye.