The Pittsburgh Steelers could possibly have two veteran players on their training camp roster that might be getting targeted by the New Orleans Saints. The Saints are already plagued by health and injury issues on their offensive line. Could the Steelers hold the answer?
Joseph Maiorana-USA TODAY Sports
Cincinnati Bengals center Bill Price was recently released by the New Orleans Saints.
New Orleans had to release backup center Billy Price with a non-football designation, possibly because of him failing his physical. Price was signed by the Saints after a tryout in June's minicamp. Price, who was backing up Erik McCoy, was originally a first-round draft pick by the Cincinnati Bengals.
He felt like a perfect choice as he had experience playing in the NFL despite bouncing around the league a bit. The Saints were left scrambling for someone else to help protect quarterback, Derek Carr. Another bonus that New Orleans hoped to capitalize upon was that Price and Carr know each other from when they were both part of the Las Vegas Raiders.
In came Trai Turner, the former Steelers guard who was brought in to compete for a spot on the roster after the release of Price. Turner was selected in the third round by the Carolina Panthers in 2014. Originally a New Orleans native, he also spent time with the Washington Commanders and the Los Angeles Chargers.
Joe Sargent/Getty Images
Former Steelers guard Trai Turner was recently injured during the New Orleans Saints training camp.
Unfortunately, now Turner is injured. He started by taking second-team drills with the Saints during training camp and left practice early with an undisclosed injury. It has now come out that the injury, a quadriceps tear, is season-ending. This leaves the Saints looking for possible replacements on their depth chart and it is possible their sights are turned towards the Steel City.
Do The Steelers Have The Answer To The Saints Depth Problem On Their Roster?
It seems likely that the Saints will look at available free agents to provide the depth they need, but you never know. It is always possible they will look to engineer a trade with another team if they can find a win-win situation, and two such situations might exist in Pittsburgh. John Sigler from Saints Wire lists two Steelers linemen as possible trade targets for the Saints.
The first possibly is Kevin Dotson. Dotson was selected by the Steelers in the fourth round of the 2020 NFL Draft. With a solid frame at 6'4" and 321 pounds, Dotson is a good size but he is also penalty ridden. He racked up 12 penalties in 2022, including four for holding and four false starts.
Karl Roser | Credit: Pittsburgh Steelers
Pittsburgh Steelers guard Kevin Dotson
The Steelers believed in Dotson when he was drafted and he initially appeared to be off to a good start. However, he has been inconsistent at best. Pittsburgh is not just going to sit back and hope that his technique improves and that their second-year quarterback, Kenny Pickett, will be protected. It appears that they went out this offseason and replaced him with veteran Isaac Seumalo from the Philadelphia Eagles.
The second Steelers guard that the Saints might have their eye on is Kendrick Green. Green has had a tough go in Pittsburgh. A third-round selection in 2021, he was thrown straight to the wolves as the starting center, a role Green admitted he wasn't comfortable in.
Green was moved back to guard in 2022 where he competed with none other than Dotson for a starting role, which he lost. He never even dressed for the active roster in 2022. Now, reports are emerging that Green is once again back as a center, hoping to win a backup spot behind Mason Cole for 2023.
Jordan Schofield / SteelerNation (Twitter: @JSKO_PHOTO)
The Pittsburgh Steelers will have to decide the fate of Kendrick Green.
Pittsburgh has worked hard the past two seasons to rebuild their offensive line and that leaves both of these players on a bubble of sorts. They both know they are at camp competing for a spot, hoping that they at least make the roster even if they don't start.
The Saints, for their part, are nearing depth desperation and this could work in the Steelers' favor. In the case of Dotson, he has spent enough time in the league that his contract value will be going up in 2024. The Steelers might be hoping to work out a favorable trade prior to even getting to that point. Green and the Steelers just haven't hit that stride together and a fresh start might be best for both parties.
Either way, the Saints have a serious hole on their roster. Could they possibly look at one of these Steelers as the answer? If so, what would that mean in way of compensation for Pittsburgh?
Do you think there is any chance the Saints will seek to trade for Green or Dotson? What do you see as their trade value? Do you think either or both will make the Steelers roster in 2023? Click to comment below.
#SteelerNation
