Steelers trade Broderick Jones and a fourth to Dallas for a third and sixth in 2027

Alan Saunders and Zachary Smith break down the Steelers' Saturday trade sending Broderick Jones and a 2027 fourth round pick to the Dallas Cowboys for a 2027 third and sixth. They view the return as good value for a player who struggled through camp and the preseason, noting the move was likely in the works before Dylan Cook logged 40 snaps at left tackle Thursday in Buffalo. Saunders traces the arc from the organization's plans to extend Jones before last year's injury to drafting Max Ahotechor in the first round, which sealed Jones's fate in Pittsburgh. The two also discuss the thin tackle depth behind Troy Fautanu and Cook, floating David Sharp as a waiver wire name and the potential usefulness of that third round pick in a future trade up.

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It's time to take a ride on the Steelers afternoon drive with our co-hosts Allen Saunders and Zachary Smith.

Let's get the van.

We're going to try to see what's afternoon drive.

I'm Zachary Smith.

That is Allen Saunders.

Uh let me look at the calendar here.

It's a Saturday.

Uh I'm not used to seeing Allen on my screen on a Saturday, which means something would have happened.

We told you just yesterday, if something happens over the weekend, you'll either see me or you'll see Allen.

Or maybe you'll see both of us, that's what's happening.

Not necessarily what I expected to have happened here, Allen, but the Steelers sending Broderick Jones in a fourth round pick in 2027 to the Dallas Cowboys for a third round selection and a sixth round selection in the 2027 7 NFL draft.

Uh, thought Broderick was one of the on the short list of trade candidates for sure, but I'll be honest, I'm a bit surprised that this is happening.

Yeah, I mean, I'm a little surprised in a couple of different directions.

Although, I will say, very clearly this is something the team was thinking about doing before Thursday Night's preseason game in Buffalo because now I understand why Dylan Cook played 40 snaps at left tackle.

Obviously, Max Aho, not not going to play left tackle in anything other than an absolute emergency.

And so getting Dylan Cook some left tackle reps so that he could be ready for the regular season to be the starting right tackle, but if there's an injury to Troy Fautanu, go over to the left.

Now, that makes a lot of sense.

He was the only starter who played significant taps on Thursday.

So pretty clearly, this is something that was cooking for a little while.

Uh, I also think You know, it's very clear that Broderick Jones was not a part of the future in Pittsburgh.

Entering the final season of his contract, we had talked all off-season about Broderick Jones as potentially being a player that could be traded by the Steelers at this time in the calendar.

I just thought he would have needed to play a little better than he did for this to be a realistic outcome.

I was not impressed with the work that we saw from Broderick Jones throughout the preseason and throughout training camp.

He admitted to me back in early August that he felt like he was was a long way away from where he needed to be.

And I didn't necessarily see a ton of growth over the course of the preseason.

So, I mean, I'm I'm not surprised that the Steelers wanted to trade him.

I am a little surprised that they were able to get a deal that they felt was worth pulling the trigger on, what is essentially the equivalent of a fourth round pick coming back from the Dallas Cowboys.

I guess that's the thing.

I don't think that they necessarily were calling around seating this deal out, but they left the opportunity open that if a trade like this with value like this came across their desk, then they would take it.

And I think that that's what happened.

I mean, it's two trains of thought for me because obviously this is now completely sunk cost that first round pick in 2023 and Roger Jones.

It was obviously a failed experiment.

It has been for some time.

So that was a miss.

Uh the drafting and development of him.

But getting this doesn't mean that this is a failure to get this value back at this point in time now with where he is, with what he is as a player.

In my opinion, that's just the way that I looked at it as we sit here now.

I've had that conversation with a couple people already.

Uh because if we didn't do this, I was just about to text you actually and say do you want me to jump on and do something for it when I saw that you texted me about doing a podcast.

So, yeah, that's where I'm at with it, but I want to in real time I'm watching my mind kind of shift here and go to does this mean something else for them in terms of like will they try to replace him with another tackle on the roster?

Are they good with what they have there already?

Um, like where does your mind go to in terms of the replenishment at that position if at all?

Yeah, I want to talk about the value real quick first.

I think this is good value for the player that is Broderick Jones right now.

I think that's pretty clear.

I think this is a objectively good trade in a vacuum for the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Even though offensive linemen are scarce this time of year, a fourth round pick is a pretty good return for a guy who did not look all that playable this preseason.

I understand Brodeur has a lot of talent and he still has a lot of potential and he's still not very old.

Um.

But boy, I mean I don't see see this as being like a plug-and-play option for the Cowboys at right tackle.

Uh I would assume even though they're having some issues with Terence Steele there.

I I would assume that this is a a hope kind of thing and you get fourth round pick for a hope then that's pretty good.

However, the fact that you know you can make this trade because his fate in Pittsburgh was sealed the minute the Steelers drafted Max Aho Chor was one of the reasons not to draft Max Aho Chor is that it sort of puts you in a position where you have to do this.

You You've sealed your fate with one of your former first-round picks.

You have sunk that cost.

The cost wasn't sunk in April.

I don't think Obviously, the Dallas Cowboys don't think that there's no chance that Broderick Jones works out.

Um, but the Steelers closed the door on that possibility when they drafted after the Huntachore.

They got what they could for him, but this is not good value for a former first round draft pick in the big picture and it makes the draft pick a failure in what was Omar Khan's first and a trade up for the Steelers ahead of several notable players.

And so I mean I I I would have been a lot more hesitant to close the book on that draft pick than the Steelers were when they drafted a Huntachore, but I think I think once they took the steps to get here, this kind of move made a lot of sense at this point.

I still think you can be very critical of the A to B to C process, just maybe not this last step.

Uh as far as replacement, Jack Driscoll, I projected to go on the injured reserve with that ankle injury that he's uh had it practiced last week.

I expect that's going to happen.

Uh he would have been been the team's next tackle.

Uh other than that, I I don't know.

Doug Nester, I think, is probably the next guy up.

I would be very surprised if he makes the team.

I Could I they go interior though and then just say like Spencer Anderson could play tackle like right tackle if they had to or something.

Like could it be Maybe they're just going to run a player short on the offensive line.

I That's Maybe possible they're just going to keep eight.

I mean they have some decent position flexibility which Mike McCarthy has talked at had nauseum about.

Yes, Spencer Anderson can play a little tackle.

Um, Hoffman can play center or guard.

McCollum can play guard and pinch.

Um, although I don't I don't have him on the 53 right now, but um it maybe it is just McCollum gets added and you and you figure you can or maybe they just go with eight.

I don't know.

Uh, you have to have at least eight, but um you know, Driscoll, I don't expect to be a long-term injury, so maybe Maybe you figure you can get by for a couple weeks and then bring him back from the injured reserve at some point.

But or it's the waiver wire.

I mean, I don't think there's another internal option that that projects to be a I mean Yeah.

starting or even Even in the case of Driskel, like you're talking about Rodriguez is not looking playable in the preseason.

I didn't think Driskel looked any better.

No.

So, I mean, maybe they'll take a look at the waiver wire.

Although I will say if you're getting a fourth round pick for Rodriguez, I can't imagine there's a whole heck of a a lot of playable on the waiver wire.

I mean, that that's that's what that tells me right there.

So, I would I'm sort of assuming that they're just going to go with the three tackles which I don't know, I have to dig into Mike McCarthy's history to see how thin he's cut the margins on the offensive line in the past, but that's thinner than the Steelers have been in quite some time.

Well, you mentioned McCarthy's past.

My other thought here was if they are going to dip their toes somewhere else.

I need to start looking around to guys that have played under camp and Jari Evans maybe potentially that could shake loose.

Like just familiarity from that standpoint if you're looking around the league on the the waiver wire or you know obviously some vets that won't be subject waivers whatever it might be.

So I'm not I don't none of those guys are on my mind right now specifically.

I'm just saying that I think you look for guys with ties in situations like this when you're looking for somebody else.

You know what the other thought is that just just crossed my mind down too was just how fast these things can happen.

And you know you go back to when the injury happened for Broderick against Chicago last year.

When we had our conversation um the the in person Stewie's afternoon drive that we did up at training camp.

You told me that talking to people in the organization like they were pretty pleasantly surprised with the trajectory of Broderick last year and were ready to you know do business with Yeah them.

Potentially give them a contract extension.

And now here we are You know, less than a year later and they're moving on from him trading him to the Dallas Cowboys after selecting a first round pick to replace him in Max Hanitsch.

Like life life comes at you fast.

I mean, especially in this league not for long.

Um so yeah, I mean all the best to Broderick obviously.

I don't know what your other thoughts are.

I feel like there's so many different angles to look at this but yeah, I just I hope the best for him.

Hope he's still able to carve out a long career and it's really unfortunate what has happened.

Really the entire way but now I'm really circling that injury that just happened last year.

Yeah, if Rodger Jones doesn't get hurt, they're going to sign him to an extension this off-season and I really intended to sign him to an extension this off-season.

And um and and that's uh that's that that's the way the league happens sometimes.

It's crazy how how it occurs but uh yeah, I mean I think I I think they're still a good player in there.

I mean he's is a really good athlete.

Um, it's just a question of whether he's able to really master the uh master the technique in a way that that he really hasn't been to this point in his career.

Last thing, obviously shorter podcast here just jumping on here to give you guys some instant reaction to this project Jones trade.

Uh, going back to the value of the deal.

I know that there's been a lot of conversation surrounding this 2027 NFL draft and and not that, you know, I don't know what your thought is in terms terms of what this is going to be used for.

We have no idea what markets they're going to be in as we sit here right now.

On the surface, you already said this is good value to get.

But as you specifically look at the 2027 class, was there a part of you that was surprised that it was even 27 capital?

Cuz I was wondering with two picks if the third one would have been in 20 the third round pick would have been in 2028.

I mean, I think it's it's no No, I wasn't I I mean, it's good value.

I don't know that the you know, it would have been a lot worse value if they were 28 picks, obviously.

I mean, I think 27 um I would not have been surprised if they could not get what they got for Brother Jones and so maybe the value would have been less, but I I don't I don't see anything about the 27 class versus the 28 class that at this point is I'm talking about but the players in the class that is impacting the value of trades at this point.

I just do you so because next year, I mean despite how high people might be on on Drew Allers and stuff like that, very well could be back into the quarterback mix for the Steelers.

Did any part of you think about that with getting a third round pick as part of this deal?

Oh, sure.

It helps that.

Third round pick is significant.

And and the way the trade went down, you know, they could have just traded for the Cowboys fourth.

Right?

Like you get the fourth, I don't know if the Cowboys have their fourth, maybe they don't.

But um this way you get something that's a little bit of a shinier toy in terms of trying to move up a draft board.

I think that's a little bit significant.

Yeah, so that that's just that I was just texting somebody about this right before we jumped on and they were saying, you know, if it's this is essentially what it equals out to, I think people are making too big of a deal about the three part of it if you're sending the four back.

But that three to me is pretty significant in terms of the gap there to move in a deal if you're talking about that type of trade up.

So, I mean I I get what they're saying in terms of how many picks are actually going to be in between those two in that pick swap.

I just think if you're talking about you know that pick changing hands once again in another deal, it's much more attractive as a as a third round pick than a fourth round pick.

Yeah, I agree.

If you want a name to look for in terms of backfilling at tackle.

David Sharp is a guy who was on the Steelers practice squad very briefly at the very end of last season.

Uh he spent a year with James Campen in Carolina in 2023.

He's currently on the Ravens, but I doubt I would it be point the match to make the team.

So uh that that would be an interesting uh name to keep an eye on.

There you go.

Uh anything else, Alan?

Real quick one for the people.

Yeah, I mean I I'm I'll say this, I'm a little surprised that we had to jump in for a podcast on a Saturday and it was not about Joey Porter Jr. We still don't know what's happening with that.

The other moves today pretty pretty by rote uh Jaylen Davis released and Levi Wertz put on waivers.

I suppose there was a chance that the Steelers were going to try to keep a fifth edge rusher and I think Davis did play very well uh this preseason but I mean they really have no need for a fifth edge rusher.

with the four guys they have there.

So, I I was pretty skeptical.

That was a road they were going to go down.

We'll see if they're interested in bringing him back to the practice squad.

I thought he was a very, very solid I would bet be to have around.

I certainly would be and hey, maybe he gets another opportunity somewhere else out of this.

We'll see.

Maybe Joey's just waiting till tomorrow.

They want us to be on every day of the week.

Just go right into the next week as well.

Um, real quick, I do want to say we should have just jumped on here anyway because I'm looking at the YouTube thing.

I just pulled it up.

Uh, the channel is eight years old today.

Was treated I don't eight know years ago today.

There you go.

Yeah.

How about that?

So there we go.

All right, good stuff.

Quick one for you guys.

Broderick Jones traded to the Dallas Cowboys just to give you a one more quick rundown.

Broderick Jones in a 2027 fourth round pick to the Dallas Cowboys for a 2027 third round pick in a 2027.

Sixth round pick, we will see how this thing shakes out both in terms of which and Broderick the best for the Cowboys and carbon out a role there.

What it means for the Steelers in terms of are they going to bring in another tackle, or what does the offensive line look like?

And then obviously, got to wait a little bit longer to see what those picks turn into.

Allen, tell the people they could find you.

Hey Sanders, underscore PGH on X Instagram, TikTok, and Blue Sky.

PGH SteelersNow the site to account steelernow.com.

Go there and I have this news story up.

I'll have a commentary up later tonight and yeah, go check that out.

Here we go.

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