Bryant rumors make trade with Raiders fortunate for Steelers

Late Thursday night, Michael Gehlken of the Las Vegas Review-Journal broke the news that embattled NFL and former Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Martavis Bryant may be facing trouble with the National Football League for potential infraction of the league’s banned substance policy. If Bryant, already plagued from past indiscretions, truly is facing league punishment… the trade the Steelers made with the Oakland Raiders during the 2018 NFL Draft could prove to be a major deal for Pittsburgh. Some may say that it was one of the most fortuitous trades the Steelers have made in a very long time.

“Multiple [Raiders] team officials declined comment [on Bryant] as they left for a weekslong break before training camp, but they acknowledged the club is awaiting final word on the situation. It is believed to pertain to the NFL’s substance-abuse policy.” – Michael Gehlken, Las Vegas Review-Journal

On April 26, the Raiders negotiated with the Steelers in favor of a trade to acquire Bryant, a talented 6-foot-4-inch, 211-pound target they could field with Derek Carr, Jordy Nelson, and Amari Cooper. The Steelers received a third-round pick in exchange. With that 76th overall pick, the Steelers selected quarterback Mason Rudolph. The 2017 Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award winner has already been heavily involved in team practices during the offseason and looks to make a push for a backup spot. Whether he’ll beat out Landry Jones or Joshua Dobbs remains to be seen, and has brought up the topic of whether or not the Steelers might keep four quarterbacks on their roster in 2018. The trade also allowed Pittsburgh to keep their original third-round spot as well; they selected Outland Trophy finalist Chukwuma “Chuks” Okorafor (OT) from Western Michigan at No. 92 overall.

The Bryant trade was made possible, in part, due to the Arizona Cardinals’ desire to move up to select Josh Rosen (No. 10 overall) in the first round, giving the Raiders a third- and a fifth-round pick in exchange. Oakland selected Kolton Miller and made it clear to Pittsburgh that they wanted Bryant in silver and black.

One day later, on April 27, Raiders head coach Jon Gruden acknowledged that he had a “lot of confidence” in acquiring Bryant by saying, “(Martavis) knows how to practice. The guy knows how to prepare. He’s been through a lot in his life, and he’s got something to prove, and I think we’re catching him at the right time.”

The risk was understood. Bryant had a history. Since entering the league in 2014, the young receiver was punished for an initial violation of the substance-abuse policy and then lost the entire 2016 NFL season due to similar missteps. Entering the final year of his rookie contract, Bryant is scheduled to become a free agent in March 2019. If he were to be found in violation of the league’s policy once again, the punishment is expected to be severe. Could it be the end of Bryant in the NFL? Until the information that Gehlken released has been confirmed, the Raiders and Bryant fans will have to wait and see.

In the meantime, the Steelers were able to move on – and have done well – getting rookie James Washington and second-year receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster in tempo with their offensive plans for the 2018 NFL season. With the offseason officially over, Pittsburgh may very well have dealt a potential disaster away by trading Bryant to Oakland and starting off fresh.

If you haven’t listened to today’s podcast, it’s highly recommended. Eerily it deals with how the Steelers will replace Bryant this year.