Amid the Pittsburgh Steelers' involvement in the Brandon Aiyuk trade, the team remained active in filling the gaps in their roster. On Monday, the Steelers claimed guard/tackle Tykeem Doss off waivers from the Baltimore Ravens, propping up their offensive line. The Ravens had released Doss on Sunday after they signed former Steelers wide receiver Anthony Miller, so the whole transaction feels like a trade in miniature.
It would be interesting to see how the Steelers plan to use Doss, given that he currently has no NFL regular season experience. The undrafted free agent out of Southern Miss had spent the entire 2023 season with the Ravens on their practice squad. He did see action in the Ravens' preseason opener victory over the Philadelphia Eagles, 16-13. Still, this lack of experience might not matter if the Steelers want another body for preseason practices.
Additions and subtractions
Currently, the Steelers are short of one lineman for practices due to the knee injury to first-round pick Troy Fautanu, which sidelined him for the rest of the preseason. Moreover, the Steelers had also lost defensive back Kalon Barnes to another injury. Barnes had exited practice on Sunday at Saint Vincent College after hurting his quadriceps. With these injuries, Tykeem Doss could immediately contribute to the Steelers after coming off waivers.
Besides this signing, the Steelers remain consistently mentioned in trade scenarios involving San Francisco 49ers star Brandon Aiyuk. The star wide receiver had requested a trade last month after stalled contract negotiations, with a list of teams expressing interest in dealing for him. However, Aiyuk holds considerable leverage over his trade negotiations, which was why the New England Patriots dropped their deal for him.
If this deal happens, the Steelers would acquire a potent offensive weapon that helped the 49ers reach the Super Bowl, which they ultimately lost to the Kansas City Chiefs. At this point, though, even Steelers fans might have had enough of all the trade drama.
What's next for the Steelers and Ravens?
With Aiyuk or not, the Steelers remain in good shape heading into the 2024 season. Last season was their 20th straight winning season, the first team in AFC history to reach such a milestone. They also improved their 2022 record with 10-7, qualifying for the NFL playoffs. However, the Steelers lost to the Buffalo Bills, 31-17, in the Wild Card Round.
On the other hand, the Ravens are coming off a stellar 2023 season, finishing with a 13-4 record. They also advanced to their first AFC Championship game since 2012 after defeating the Houston Texans 34-10 in the Divisional Round. However, the Chiefs toppled them en route to their second consecutive Super Bowl.
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