The Steelers appear to be in an excellent position. While they have not played consistently at this point in the season, they have found a way to build a winning record. Head coach Mike Tomlin has to feel good about his team's 4-2 record, and he knows that he can demand much more of his players.

The Steelers played their best game of the season in beating the Los Angeles Rams 24-17 on the road in Week 17. They took charge in the second half and they came back from a 17-10 deficit to score 14 points in the final quarter and secure the victory.

Subpar offensive production

Quarterback Kenny Pickett has struggled to trigger the offense throughout the majority of the season, but he was quite a bit better against the Rams than he had been most of the early part of the season. He completed 17 of 25 passes for 230 yards and he did not throw an interception.

They have a fairly solid running attack on paper, but Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren have yet to hit their stride. Their best weapon to this point is wide receiver George Pickens. He uses his size, wingspan and speed to get the best of opposing defensive backs. Pickens played a big role in the win over the Rams with 5 receptions for 107 yards.

He has been even better during the season  with 27 receptions for 500 yards and 2 touchdowns, including a long play of 71 yards.

However, the Steelers are not getting much production from their receivers other than Pickens. They have been particularly lacking at the tight end position, and that's an area that has been quite productive for the Steelers in the past.

If the Steelers want to upgrade their attack in a significant manner prior to the October 31 trade deadline, they need to look at the tight end position.

Key injury at the TE position

The Steelers were hoping to get some significant production from Pat Freiermuth at the tight end position, but he has been troubled by injuries to this point in the year. He had a hamstring injury that caused him to miss 2 games, and while he was on track to make a comeback, the injury flared up again.

Freiermuth has very pedestrian numbers to this point in the year, with just 8 catches for 53 yards. He has shown he can be a red zone weapon as 2 of his receptions came in the end zone.

When healthy, the Steelers know Freiermuth can be a huge weapon. He caught 63 passes for 732 yards last year. Interestingly, he has already matched the 2 touchdowns that he had last year.

Freiermuth should be healthy by mid-November, but “should be” and descriptions like probably are not the same as healthy and productive. That's why the Steelers have to look at the trade market.

Unusual trade partner?

The Steelers are not used to looking at the New England Patriots and thinking of them as a potential trade partner. Instead, they have been key playoff rivals over the years.

While the Patriots came up with an upset victory over the Buffalo Bills in Week 7, a postseason appearance does not seem like for Bill Belichick and his players. But what the Patriots have are a couple of productive and healthy tight ends.

The Pats have both Hunter Henry and Mike Gesicki in the lineup. It might not come at a bargain price, but perhaps Steelers general manager Omar Khan can pry one of those from the New England roster.

Henry comes with a hefty price tag of $9.5 million — the salary would be prorated — and that could be an issue for the Steelers. He has caught 20 passes for 210 yards and 2 scores to this point in the season, and that's not a lot for the amount he is being paid.

However, Henry has shown he can make game-changing receptions in past years, and that may make it worth Khan's time and effort.

Gesicki has a more reasonable $4.5 million price tag, but he may not be a game-changing player. He caught the game-winning TD pass against the Bills in Week 7, but that is his only TD reception this year. He has caught 17 passes for 149 yards, and his long reception is 18 yards.

Bottom line

There may be other tight ends that Khan can find, and it would make sense to bring one in if he decides that neither of the Patriots tight ends are worth bringing in.

The team would be better off is the Steelers make a deal, because they don't know when Freiermuth will be healthy and productive.