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With a month to go until the Pittsburgh Steelers begin training camp, one of the team's cornerbacks has been linked as a trade candidate.
According to Sports Illustrated's Jack Markowski, cornerback Asante Samuel Jr. "makes the most sense" as the top trade candidate for Pittsburgh.
Considering that Jamel Dean and Joey Porter Jr. are near locks, Markowski looked at the other cornerbacks and argued that Jalen Ramsey and Brandin Echols are less likely trade candidates due to their versatility. That leaves Samuel as the odd man out.
"With [Samuel's] prior track record as a solid No. 2-type corner for the Los Angeles Chargers at the beginning of his career while Ramsey and Echols appear like more indispensable parts of Pittsburgh's roster, Samuel Jr. is the top trade candidate at the position as of now," Markowski wrote. "He may not fetch more than a mid-to-late Day 3 pick, but it's still decent enough value for Samuel Jr. if the right opportunity were to present itself this offseason."
Samuel underwent spinal fusion surgery in April 2025 and was cleared to play football in November. He signed with the Steelers' practice squad shortly after.
Samuel appeared in six regular-season games, including one playoff matchup, recording 10 combined tackles, one interception, and one pass defended. He re-signed with the Steelers on a one-year deal this past March.
While it would be nice to acquire some additional draft capital for a loaded 2027 class, the Steelers are clearly all in on this upcoming season. And Samuel, arguably one of the top backup cornerbacks in the league, is worth more to Pittsburgh as a depth piece behind Porter and Dean than a Day 3 draft pick.
For up-to-date Steelers coverage, including any offseason moves, follow us on X @TheSteelersWire and give our Facebook page a like.
This article originally appeared on Steelers Wire: Steelers cornerback viewed as top trade candidate
Continue reading...
According to Sports Illustrated's Jack Markowski, cornerback Asante Samuel Jr. "makes the most sense" as the top trade candidate for Pittsburgh.
Considering that Jamel Dean and Joey Porter Jr. are near locks, Markowski looked at the other cornerbacks and argued that Jalen Ramsey and Brandin Echols are less likely trade candidates due to their versatility. That leaves Samuel as the odd man out.
"With [Samuel's] prior track record as a solid No. 2-type corner for the Los Angeles Chargers at the beginning of his career while Ramsey and Echols appear like more indispensable parts of Pittsburgh's roster, Samuel Jr. is the top trade candidate at the position as of now," Markowski wrote. "He may not fetch more than a mid-to-late Day 3 pick, but it's still decent enough value for Samuel Jr. if the right opportunity were to present itself this offseason."
Samuel underwent spinal fusion surgery in April 2025 and was cleared to play football in November. He signed with the Steelers' practice squad shortly after.
Samuel appeared in six regular-season games, including one playoff matchup, recording 10 combined tackles, one interception, and one pass defended. He re-signed with the Steelers on a one-year deal this past March.
While it would be nice to acquire some additional draft capital for a loaded 2027 class, the Steelers are clearly all in on this upcoming season. And Samuel, arguably one of the top backup cornerbacks in the league, is worth more to Pittsburgh as a depth piece behind Porter and Dean than a Day 3 draft pick.
For up-to-date Steelers coverage, including any offseason moves, follow us on X @TheSteelersWire and give our Facebook page a like.
This article originally appeared on Steelers Wire: Steelers cornerback viewed as top trade candidate
Continue reading...
