Tuesday marked an important day around the league as many general managers took the podium to address the media one last time before Thursday’s draft.
Most GM’s keep their cards close to their chest, but in a rather revealing move Carolina Panthers’ general manager Dan Morgan announced the team would be open to shopping the eighth overall pick.
“I don’t really wanna get into specifics on where I would want to trade back to, but we’re definitely open to trading back and acquiring more picks,” Morgan said. “I think we’re gonna be open to all possibilities—let’s put it that way.”
The GM continued, alluding to the fact that the team would be willing to select at eight, but channeling his inner Godfather and leaving the door open for an offer he can’t refuse.
“It only takes one team to fall in love with a player,” Morgan continued. “A team could fall in love with a player and decide they wanna trade up with us and go get their guy. So, we’ll be waiting if somebody wants to come up.”
What Would It Cost To Move Up To Eight
The eighth pick is highly sought after due to the fact that it sits just one pick in front of the New Orleans Saints at nine. The Saints are commonly regarded as the last quarterback needy team in the top ten. This means a team looking to pick up a player like Shedeur Sanders, should he slide, would be looking to jump in front of the Saints on Thursday.
“Making a run at Sanders won’t be cheap,” wrote Bleacher Reports’ Alex Kay. “Pittsburgh would likely need to give up a good portion of its meager six selections in this year’s draft—but it’s the type of calculated risk it needs to take if it wants to truly compete.”
In the three years since Ben Roethlisberger retired, the Pittsburgh Steelers has cycled through five starting quarterbacks, and as of today, the only two quarterbacks rostered on the Steelers are Mason Rudolph and Skylar Thompson.
With this considered, Kay listed what he believes it might take for the Steelers to get up to eight and ‘change the Steelers fortunes instantly’.
“Panthers receive: 2025 first-round pick (No. 21 overall), 2025 third-round pick (No. 83 overall), 2025 seventh-round pick (No. 229 overall), 2026 first-round pick (TBD),” Kay hypothesized. “Steelers receive: 2025 first-round pick (No. 8 overall).”
Shedeur Sanders Is The Hot Topic In Pittsburgh
The Athletic’s Nick Baumgardner believes that Pittsburgh is the absolute best case scenario for Colorado’s former signal caller.
“I’ll say both Rodgers and Sanders are Steelers next year,” Baumgardner wrote. “Not sure if that’s the best possible spot for Rodgers, but I do think it’s the best one for Sanders.”
He continued, stating that he doesn’t believe Sanders is a start tomorrow prospect.
“I really like the idea of Sanders landing with the Steelers and being given a chance to learn and adjust to the NFL,” Baumgardner continued. “I think if he’s drafted by a team with a stable supporting cast around him, he’ll have a chance. But if you put him on a bad team expecting a miracle, you’re running a major risk of stunting his growth.”
