Your Pittsburgh Steeler were making moves this offseason. Today we will be breaking down the 4 major trades that took place prior to the regular season. We will also be grading each trade with the knowledge we have now.

Trade 1:

Kicking off the offseason trading fest for the Steelers was the aquisition of of CB Kenny Moore II. The Steelers would trade their 2022 2nd and RG Trai Turner for CB Kenny Moore. While a puzzling move at first, it was important to the Steelers coaching staff that they get an effective corner presence. Moore provides stability at a subpar corner group. He will immediately slot in as the teams #1 Boundary Corner, a role he did not play much in Indianapolis. However, trading a 2nd and a solid starter for a corner a year shy from regressing is a risky move. FINAL GRADE: B

Trade 2:

The next trade the Steelers would make is shipping off Pro-Bowl RE Stephon Tuitt off to LA in exchange for a 3rd rounder and 6th rounder in this current draft. Tuitt is a dominant run-stuffer and a borderline elite interior pass rusher. His loss will felt on the defensive line. While a dissapointing move for fans, Tuitt was an impending FA in the next offseason, and would likely demand max contract. This trade provides Pittsburgh some value for him rather than having to lose him later in FA. Overall this move makes sense for the long term.FINAL GRADE: A

Trade 3:

The Steelers would trade their 2021 1st, 2022 1st, and 2021 3rd rounder to move up to pick 6 in the 2021 NFL draft. The Steelers were eying down one of 3 QBs that could've been available at that pick. At the time this move made sense. Often times teams have traded a boatload to ensure they get their guy. Especially at the most important position in Football. However, since the draft has already passed we now know that this was a giant failure. All of their QBs were taken by pick 5 forcing the Steelers to take a CB that would've been available at their original slot. FINAL GRADE: D-

Trade 4:

After a dissapointing outcome at QB throughout the offseason, the Steelers would swoop in to take QB Joe Burrow from the Cincinatti Bengals. Trading their 2023 1st round pick, and LB Devin Bush in exchange for QB Joe Burrow. Intially, the Burrow trade meant to save the Steelers from the rancid outcome of the 2021 NFL Draft. However, Burrow may have celeberated a bit too hard being liberated from the confines of Ohio and found himself suspended for the home opener. His backup, excelled and now the Steelers have a bit of QB controversy going on. More on that later. For the time being we can only look at this deal as if Burrow is the starter. FINAL GRADE: B+ (Pending)

The Pittsburgh Steelers had money to spend in this years Free Agency. Steelers would spend over 50M handing out contracts to marquee free agents. Going into this offseason, it was clear that the offensive line needed work. Having lost many veterans the year prior, the ragtag group of players masquerading as an offensive line was one of key reasons the Steelers offense struggled to produce most of the 2021 NFL season. They also made a number of signings to fill out the roster and become a sound NFL team. We will be breaking down the key additions to the team.

LT Terron Armstead

Headlining this FA class by the Steelers is All Pro LT Terron Armstead. The Steelers would sign him to a 2 year 46M dollar deal with almost 40M in guarantees. Aside from Aaron Rodgers, Armstead can be considered the most coveted free agent in this years pool. This previous season the Steelers trotted out a combination of Dan Moore and Joe Haeg to hold down the most important OL position. Not only is Armstead an immediate improvement, he provides elite levels of play at the position.

RG David DeCastro

At the beginning of the 2021 season, the Steelers had to part ways with DeCastro due him mulling a potential retirement and the cap constraints that were present. Now with the greatly increased cap space, DeCastro has returned on a 1 year 12M dollar deal. Another former All-Pro lineman, DeCastro will fit right in. 

MLB Krys Barnes

Rounding out the major FA aquisitions by the Steelers is LB Krys Barnes. While intially signed to play next to Devin Bush, Barnes has now been elevated to the starting LB position. Coach Tomlin noted that Barnes was signed to be the green dot from the very beginning. Signed to a 4 year 45M dollar deal, Barnes is an all round solid LB from the Steelers. He is young and will develop along with the rest of the team.

The Pittsburgh Steelers seem to have found their guy at QB. At least for the remainder of the season. In each week Dobbs has started, the Offense has produced over 300 yards. In the last two weeks Josh Dobbs has been nearly perfect. He has had a few misteps with turnovers, but has continued to keep the Steelers in games. RB Najee Harris has also seen a noticeable uptick in production and is proving his first round pickvalue. Despite being 0-3 in each of the games Dobbs has started, the Steelers have looked their most competitive. WR Diontae Johnson has also broken out as the teams no. 1 WR as he has had back to back weeks of near 100 yard performances. Although parts of their Bears performance has been rewritten by EA, their performance will forever be captured in film.

The defense has noticeably struggled this season. While the pass rush remains dominant as ever, the turnover filled offense has led to some high scoring affairs. Along with that, the Steelers corners simply can't cover. They've allowed numerous deep ball touchdowns to some subpar receivers. The Steelers will have a tough decision come this offseason in what they will do with their number 1 pick. Rumors have circled for a potential Tua trade, but nothing concrete can be said. This does open the door for a new top corner in Pittsburgh. The Steelers have sorely lacked at the corner position since the likes of Ike Taylor were on the roster. Joe Haden is well past his prime and no longer in the rotation. The question all Steelers fans are asking: CB or QB?

Your Pittsburgh Steelers fall once again in what was nearly the worst offensive performance in recent NFL history, at least for a half. QB Ben Roethlisberger would throw 4 interceptions over the course of the game failing to lead a scoring drive. Promptly after throwing his 4th interception on what would've been a long gain. HC Mike Tomlin benched Big Ben and brought in Josh Dobbs. Dobbs, now in his second stint with the Steelers. He came in and helped bring the score to 30-20 at one point. However, it was too late as the Seattle offense would not relent, effectively ending the game on a FG late in the 4th. Dobbs would come in and promptly throw 3 Touchdowns to TE Eric Ebron. While he finished with 2 interceptions as well he was a breath of fresh air for this offense. His mobility proved to be effective allowing the Steelers to open up the playbook even more. The Steelers have announced 3 different starting QBs already while it's still week 7. This bye week will help set Josh Dobbs up for success in what will be his first career start against the Cleveland Browns. 

Looking ahead: The Cleveland Browns have had their strongest start in years at 5-1. Steelers will be challenged in all facets of the game. From a potent pass game to and elite run game this game will not be easy on the Pittsburgh Defense. Even the bye may not be enough preparation for them. The biggest question this week will be the offense. There are many question marks on this offense from the offensive line to the quarter back. Josh Dobbs will be faced with a tough challenge on his first start, the question that remains is whether he will be enough.

Steelers fall to 0-3 after an abysmal offensive performance against the Cincinatti Bengals. The Defense started the game on a mission to force turnovers and sack Joe Burrow. Unfortunately, the offense had other plans. Then, starting QB Dwayne Haskins innate lack of accuracy proved too much for the Steelers. Despite, Burrow's turnovers giving them the ball within the 40, the Steelers failed to convert a TD. Once benched, future HoFer Ben Roethlisberger would return in hopes of making the comeback. This hope quickly vanished when on his first throw he would supply the Bengals another set of 6 points. A paltry effort on offense, lead to an early abandonment of the rungame culminating overall piss-poor  display of football. This left many fans questioning whether the Steelers even needed an offense. One fan even suggested running the ball and punting so that the Defense does not have deal with the offensive turnovers. While coach Tomlin seems hesitant to answer such question, rumors have it that he is considering a gameplan which does not involve turnovers by abandoning the pass.

Immediately, after the Bengals loss, Head Coach Mike Tomlin would name QB Ben Roethlisberger the starter for the remainder of the year. The fact is Dwayne Haskins is not it. Nothing about his game shows that he is worth spending time on. The Steelers are also in agreement as Haskins has moved from QB1 to QB3 on the official depth chart. Despite his drop in play, the Steelers believe Ben, not only gives them the best chance to win, if they have any hope to develop their young weapons, they need a QB who can consistently make throws. Packers will bring a challenge, arguably their toughest to date. Will Pittsburgh's offense finally step up and support their stellar defense, or will they continue to crumble? We will find out Wednesday Night at 10:30CT.

With Week 1 in the books, the Pittsburgh Steelers have already begun the season at a smoldering 0-1. While we are late in printing this article, the Steelers still have a full 16 games to go before this season is anywhere close to being done. 

Coming into this season, there were a number of concerns surrounding the Steelers on offense, defense, and even special teams. Looking at the offense, the Steelers have completely revamped their Offensive Line in the exact opposite direction they'd like. The departure of veteran starters Alejandro Villanueva, Maurkice Pouncey, and David DeCastro has left the once great offensive line in shambles. Rookies Dan Moore Jr. and Kendrick Green will look replace the former of the three veterans, with David DeCastro being replaced with former pro-bowler Trai Turner. An aging Roethlisberger returns to complete what will in all likelihood be his final season in the NFL. On a more positive note, the Steelers drafted RB Najee Harris to fill the void in their running game that has been lost since the Le'Veon Bell fiasco, as well as taking TE Pat Friermuth. A Steelers offense loaded with weapons will struggle to get their footing behind an out of prime gun-slinger and a weak foundation. On the other end, the Steelers have done a much better job in handling their departures by aquiring standout EDGE Melvin Ingram III to play opposite TJ Watt. A much needed replacement for the now Titan Bud Dupree. However, corner still remains an area of concern with Joe Haden and Cameron Sutton being the only notable corners left from 2020's dominant Pittsburgh Defense. On a smaller note, the aquisitions of LB Joe Schobert, and CB Akhello Witherspoon will provide much needed depth to this Steelers Defense. Before we finish we must talk Special Teams. long time long snapper Kameron Kannaday was cut along with his pal Punter Jordan Berry. Steelers will be the only team in all of SPA sporting a real long snapper in Christian Kuntz. As well as employing a long snapper, the Steelers drafted the heftiest punter in the league in Pressley Harvin III. Both will look to help the Pittsburgh Defense retain field position.

Per Adam Schefter, the Carolina Panthers and Seattle Seahawks finalized a trade package that would send All-Pro LB Bobby Wagner to Carolina. Reportedly, the Panthers have traded their 2021 1st round pick, 2021 4th round pick, and 2nd year EDGE Yetur Gross-Matos in exchange for Bobby Wagner. 

Analyzing the Seahawks Side:

The Seahawks have started the season off 0-4, and are struggling. From an outside perspective, the Seahawks are not in contention and Wagner will only regress from here on out. They made the choice to move him while he is at his peak value and they managed to secure a key building block for a weak defense. It is likely after this move the Panthers pick will end up in the mid to late first round, however it'll still provide more longterm value than Wagner will. Overall, the Seahawks get an A for this trade as they secure a strong edge rusher for the future along with a pick to help rebuild the future of this team.

Analyzing the Panthers Side:

The Panthers have started the season off 3-1, and are looking to contend for the playoffs. They lacked a clear hole in the middle of their defense that is now being filled by another All-Pro LB. Ever since the shocking retirement of Luke Kuechly, the Panthers have lacked a leader on their defense. Now who else would be better replacement than the man who was constantly compared with Luke Kuechly over the course of their careers. Both Wagner and Kuechly were considered to be 1A and 1B for the majority of their time together in the NFL. The Panthers had enough depth at EDGE with Hasson Reddick to be able to comfortably move Gross-Matos. It is likely that Reddick moves back to his traditional EDGE role with the loss of Matos. Moving from an attacking 4-3 to a base 4-3 is also very likely for the defensive scheme for the Panthers.  Overall, the grade on the Panthers side will heavily depend on how the rest of the season progresses. If the pick lands anywhere in the top 10, it'll be tough to consider this a slam dunk for the Panthers. However, no matter where this pick ends up, you cannot fault the Panthers from going out and obtaining an All-Pro MLB. At the moment, they do have an A+ on this trade. 

RUN CMC! Your Carolina Panthers have began the 2021 Season at 3-1 on the back of Christian McCaffrey. Over the course of the first four weeks CMC has amassed 8 TDs and nearly 600 all purpose yards. The Panthers have closed out numerous closely contest games and shown that they have resolved the many issues that plagued the team offensively in 2020. The addition of Sam Darnold has worked wonders for the offense. Despite a 1:1 ratio, Darnold's ability and willingness to drive the ball down field has opened up the running lanes for McCaffrey. 

OFFENSE:

Aside from Darnold and CMC, the Panthers offense has many key contributors that go under the radar. TE Dan Arnold has broken out as a star, leading all Panthers receivers in yards. He has become a safety blanket for QB Sam Darnold converting numerous 3rd downs and red zone opportunities. RT Brady Christensen has been very effective on the Panthers line. While we typically value the LTs over the RTs, Christensen has helped both McCaffrey and Darnold get that extra milli-second they need to pull off their magic. Panthers fans should be excited as Darnold is looking to be their QB of the future.

DEFENSE:

The Panthers defense has quitely been very solid. Pass rusher Hasson Reddick is off to a hot start leading the Panthers in sacks. While Brian Burns has started off slow, his presence alone frees up his teams to gain easier lanes to the QB. Rookie CB Jaycee Horn has all the makings of a future Superstar in the league. Many believe, Horn has broken out as a star in the league after he intercepted Kyler Murray in the closing moments of the first half and returned that interception for a touchdown. The Panthers defense still has much to improve if they are hoping to take the division crown in a hotly contested NFC South.

The Carolina Panthers showout on their home opener. A 35-0 lead at half would lead to an eventual 44-19 victory over the Las Vegas Raiders. It was dominant the game on both ends of the field for the Panthers. As well, the debut of new starting QB Sam Darnold. Coming into this season, there were many questions surrounding his game. Given his struggles in New York, many were concerned his lingering issues would not improve enough in the Carolina system. Darnold seems to be putting those worries to rest, as he threw for 302 yards, 3 touchdowns, on 17/20 completions/attempt. Despite an early interception, Darnold rebounded well and helped lead the Panthers to a dominant performance.

Offense:

Aside from the Darnold performance, RB Christian McCaffrey picked up right where he left off. After an injury stricken 2020 season, he seems to be ready to repeat his historic 2019 campaign. Posting over 100 rushing yards and 3 all purpose touchdowns, CMC is back and ready to help the Panthers fight for the division title this year. Leading all receivers in yards this game, TE Dan Arnold stands alone at over a 100 receiving yards. While Arnold isn't a household name he is beginning to carve out a spot in the minds of Panthers fans as he dominated the Raiders' linebacker core. 

Defense:

FA signing FS Earl Thomas III was a key factor in the dominant performance by the Panthers defense. Thomas would intercept QB Derek Carr twice while nearly returning both for touchdowns. The defense did not miss beat all night as rookie CB Jaycee Horn had multiple pass breakups and key tackles to prevent first downs. The real battle was won by the Panthers defensive line: allowing just under 30 rushing yards by the Raiders. 2nd year pro Derrick Brown further showcased his run stopping ability and his improved passrushing skills with 1 sack and 1 tackle for loss. As well as terrorizing Derek Carr all night. The Panthers are back and ready to reclaim the division title.

Former Patriots head coach Bill Bilichick has entered the Madden scene becoming the new head coach of the New York Jets. Following a successful draft, where the management selected their franchise QB in Zach Wilson. Key defensive starters in Asante Samuel and Trevon Moehrig were selected as well.

Despite a shaky start, the Jets can only build upon their horrendous 1-15 season in 2020. At 1-1, the Jets are tied for the division lead and are looking to fight for a playoff spot. So far Zach Wilson has impressed, showing folks at home that he can 'sling it' with the same weapons Sam Darnold struggled with. Along with Wilson, rookie TE Charlie Kolar is beginning to dispel the notion that rookie TE's struggle. With a strong performance in the loss to the Colts, Kolar has quickly become Wilson's favorite target. For now, we will continue to monitor Wilson's performance to see whether he will live up to his #2 pick hype.

Coming into their bye week, your Chicago Bears sit at a strong 7-1. Currently leading the division with the Minnesota bye this past week., the Bears are off to their best start in the Mike Ditka era. With their week 8 victory, the Chicago Bears complete the season sweep of the Detroit Lions. This will mark the first time in the Ditka era that Bears have beaten the Detroit Lions, let alone sweeping their season series. 

QB Dustin Crum is showing out and is on pace for the one the greatest passing seasons in Chicago Bears Football history. Free agent acquistion Robby Anderson has been electric for the Chicago Bears. Currently in the top 5 for receiving yards and touchdowns, Anderson has been one of the best Bears FA signings in recent memory. On the offensive line, LG James Daniels has broken out to be a Superstar and is considered by many to be one of the best guards in football.

On the defensive end, MLB Roquan Smith has continued where he left off, leading the league in interceptions with 12. Pass rusher Khalil Mack has had a nice rebound seasons with about 12 sacks on the year. Moving onto the secondary CB Jaylon Johnson has gracefully taken over the role as CB1. With 7 interceptions on the season, Johnson is proving he has what it takes to be the #1 corner on the depth chart. The Monsters of the Midway are back and hungry after their playoff collapse.

Rookie Watch:

Rookie RG Richard Gouraige has held his own and been a nice surprise for the Bears following the departure of JR Sweezy in the offseason. On the defensive end, LB Nolan Smith has proven he can be an effective pass rusher and run defender. With 5 sacks and 6 tackles for loss, Smith is off to a strong start. CB Akeem Dent is now playing CB spot once held by Kyle Fuller. With big shoes to fill, Dent has played well. Despite some early season struggles, Dent is often overshadowed by his peers. Regardless the young DB holds 2 interceptions and 2 tackles for loss to his name and will look to improve on an already solid season.

With a strong start to the season, Bears fans are optimistic that this team is capable of making a strong playoff push.

Related News:

MLB Roquan Smith has rejected is offer and intends to play on the franchise tag for the next season. Despite a hefty franchise tag, the Bears will have about 20M in open cap this offseason.

After a dissapointing loss at the hands of the Minnesota Vikings in the Wildcard round of the NFL playoffs, the Chicago Bears have looked to retool for the 2022 season. This offseason saw the departure of long-time Bear's starters Akiem Hicks and Kyle Fuller. Loved among Chicago fans, they will be missed. OLB Robert Quinn has been released as well.

With these departures there two key free agency signings. Robby Anderson has signed to a 2 year deal, giving the Bears the speed they've needed at the WR position. In a move to gain depth RT Rick Wagner has also been signed to a 1 year deal. 

Coming into the draft the Bears had many needs. There were glaring holes at the RG, OLB, and CB postions for the Bears. With their #1 selection the Bears would take OLB Nolan Smith to play oppostie Khalil Mack. They would go on to take a starting CB in Akeem Dent to play alongside Jaylon Johnson in the Bears secondary. The Bears filled many holes this offseason, but will it be enough to compete in the MCL playoffs. 

The Chicago Bears beat the Green Bay Packers narrowly 37-35. Cole Kmet was the star of the game recording 177 yards and 2 touchdowns including the game clinching grab to put the Bears into field goal range within the closing moments of the game. 

The story of the game however, was ROQUAN SMITH. Roquan recorded another interception bringing his season total to 11 with 5 of them going for 6. Posting a DPOY campaign, Roquan has had one of the greatest defensive streches of any player in NFL history. With 8 interceptions and 5 defensive touchdowns in 4 games.

Coming up next week is the 5-4 Detroit Lions. After a harrowing week 5 against the Detroit Lions, QB Dustin Crum has bounced back well. Will the Bears be able to win? Will Dustin Crum overcome his ghosts? In a must win game for the Bears, these are questions that come to mind.

For the first time this season Dustin Crum shows that he could be the franchise QB, Chicago fans have been asking for. Going 30-35 for nearly 400 yards and 2 passing touchdowns Crum was electric. HB Tarik Cohen was no slouch either posting about 190 yards rushing, 3 touchdowns, and 80 yards receiving. Bears would start out dominant and establish a strong lead heading into the second half. Unlike the past few weeks, the Bears offense would not relent in the second half. Despite some defensive struggles, the offense kept the scoring going to help close out the Seahawks.

Overall it has been a dissapointing season in Chicago. At 3-3, the Bears remain outside of the NFC playoff picture. With a tough schedule ahead and 5 divisional games left the rode ahead will be difficult. It remains to be seen if the Bears will be up for the challenge.

After a dissapointing start to the season, the Chicago Bears win their first game of the season in closing moments of overtime. From losing at the goalline to the Cardinals, and forgetting to play defense against the Cowboys, Bears fans will take any win they can get. The story of the game would be Roquan Smith. Despite being down 11 in the 4th quarter, the Bears defense did not give up. After forcing numerous stops, they were able to get the offense to tie the game. Bears would start the OT period on offense, but a goal line fumble would nearly cost them. Within the next few plays, Roquan Smith would notch his second interception of the game and bring the Bears into field goal range. After running the remainder of the clock, Aldrick Rosas would hit the 40 yard game winning field goal. The Bears will look to regroup during the bye week and hope to come out stronger if they want to keep their playoff hopes alive.