Steelers have cold water thrown on brilliant offseason move as Omar Khan sees strong criticism

The Pittsburgh Steelers are going to be entering the 2025 season with a much different roster than what the organization had in 2024. A lot of things have changed on both sides of the football, and it has been the most aggressive offseason the fan base has seen from the franchise. It all began with the addition of DK Metcalf, and then more changes came when the franchise decided to part ways with George Pickens. However, neither of those was the biggest trade the Steelers made. Pittsburgh sent Minkah Fitzpatrick to the Miami Dolphins in exchange for Jalen Ramsey and Jonnu Smith.

The trade with the Dolphins has mostly been talked about while discussing the two defenders involved in the deal, but Smith is also a pretty big addition. He was a Pro-Bowler during the 2024 season, and he is certainly in his prime as he is coming off of the best season of his life. 

However, some analysts and other folks in the football world don't see this addition as a great one, as Smith's great year in 2024 is an outlier in comparison to the rest of his career. ESPN analyst Seth Walder wrote about this while discussing the trade in a recent article for ESPN.

"Yes, Pittsburgh got an Arthur Smith favorite in Jonnu Smith, but I'd caution overrating that part." Walder wrote. "Jonnu Smith is a good yards after catch (YAC) player coming off a career-best season in which he recorded 884 receiving yards, but we shouldn't ignore the previous seven seasons of his career (including some with Coach Smith) that were not on that level."

Walder mainly focused on the first seven years of Smith's career, while also mentioning his pre-existing relationship with Pittsburgh's offensive coordinator, Arthur Smith. Arthur had been with Jonnu while the two were with the Tennessee Titans and the Atlanta Falcons. Jonnu Smith had 88 receptions during the 2024 season while with Miami, but that was the first time he had ever eclipsed 50 catches in a season since entering the league.

Jonnu Smith has not had a ton of individual success while playing for Arthur Smith, but maybe that will change in 2025. The tight end's best season came while the two were not together, but it does give the pair something to build on in Pittsburgh. 

Walder mentioned the most important factor of Jonnu Smith's game which is his YAC. He is one of the best tight ends in the NFL at bringing in passes while having the capability to make a play with the ball, which is something Pittsburgh needs from its tight end room.

The tight end spot is going to be an important position for the Steelers in 2025. Many fans will be interested to see how both Pat Freiermuth and Jonnu Smith are used, but each player should make a significant impact on every game.

Steelers took on a lot of money in trade with Dolphins

Walder was bashful of the trade Pittsburgh made with the Dolphins because of the fact that the Steelers took on most of Ramsey's contract, which is extremely expensive. The organization did this while sending Fitzpatrick to Miami, who has two years left on his deal with no guaranteed money. 

The finances of the trade make things look bad for the Steelers, but General Manager Omar Khan is known for being an expert with the salary cap, and he wouldn't make a move like this if he thought it would put the team in a bad spot for the future.

Everyone loves to react to trades after they happen, but no one will find out how the deal unfolds until the 2025 season gets underway. There is a good possibility that both sides of the deal see great benefits from the blockbuster trade.