The NFL trade deadline will pass at 4 p.m. today, and you can bet that Martavis Bryant will likely still be with the Steelers when it ends.
We've already seen one disgruntled player, the Texans' Duane Brown, and one troubled player, the Bills' Marcell Dareus, dealt.
What we haven't seen is a disgruntled, troubled player dealt.
The Steelers have gotten calls about their disgruntled, troubled receiver, to be sure. But the offers, according to a team source, aren't enough to even get the team thinking about dealing Bryant. The problem is that Bryant is one strike away from what could be a final suspension from the league. No teams want to offer anything more than a conditional seventh-round draft pick for Bryant, the same return the Steelers got for Ross Cockrell in August from the Giants.
Anyone actually think Bryant and Cockrell are similar players?
I liked Cockrell more than most people, but he wasn't going to have a role with this team. He's strictly a zone cornerback and was set to earn $1.79 million on a one-year deal this season. Bryant is making $615,000 and is under contract for $705,000 next year. That's two years at less money than Cockrell would have made this year alone.
In other words, Bryant is a bargain in terms of his salary.
The other issue is that the Steelers still need him just as much as he needs them, even if he won't admit it.
Yes, JuJu Smith-Schuster had a good game in Detroit, including a team-record 97-yard touchdown reception. But the Lions didn't respect his speed. The Lions consistently had the safety down in the box on Smith-Schuster's side, unless Antonio Brown also happened to be on that side. It's a big reason why the run game was bottled up so much. And Justin Hunter doesn't tip the scales there, either. Even though he has size and speed, he's just never been consistent.
Even if Bryant isn't catching a bunch of passes, the threat he presents of doing so keeps opposing teams honest.
Will his attitude be better moving forward? The guess here is yes.
Bear in mind, the next step for the Steelers could be a suspension. And under the basic agreement with the NFLPA, they can send him away for up to six weeks.
If that happens, does Bryant or anyone in his management group think any team is going to offer a big contract once he finally hits free agency? Do they think any team is going to want to deal with a player who has had the issues which Bryant has had?
No, he needs to keep his head down, his mouth shut and go about his business in a professional manner. NFL teams dislike squeaky wheels. Coaches hate distractions.
Bryant can still salvage a good year in 2017, especially if the team makes a good strong run in the postseason.
And, if he still wants out of Pittsburgh, that can be addressed in the offseason.
• The funniest trade rumor had the Patriots contacting the Steelers regarding Bryant.
Why in the world would the Steelers even briefly entertain the idea of dealing Bryant to New England? Unless, of course, they were sending him as a Manchurian Candidate-type player.
They certainly aren't sending him to a team they play in the second half of the season who also happens to be their top rival to win the AFC. Mike Tomlin would likely trade one of his children before making a deal with Bill Belichick.
If the Steelers were going to trade Bryant, it would have to be to an NFC team. But, as I just laid out, they aren't trading him unless they're blown away with an offer.
• As I reported last week, cornerback Cameron Sutton is ready to return to practice for the Steelers, which could make for an interesting decision.
Players placed on injured reserve can come off after eight weeks if the team chooses to use the IR-Return designation. Each team has two of those spots. Sutton was viewed as a player who might be capable of helping this team when the Steelers selected him in the third round of the draft. Then, he missed a big chunk of training camp and the preseason. It's not like he's a veteran player who can come in and help.
The guess here is that they wind up keeping him on injured reserve.
The Steelers haven't had any other injury to a player they would even consider assigning the return designation. And now that we're more than halfway through the season, they might not have one this season at all.
• Remember when the second half of the Steelers' season was supposed to be the difficult part of the schedule?
As things currently stand, the Steelers will face just three teams -- Packers, Patriots, Titans -- in the second half that own a record above .500, and all three will come at Heinz Field. Also, it's worth noting that, while the Packers are above .500 right now, there's little chance they will be there when they arrive Nov. 26. Not without Aaron Rodgers.
The first half of the schedule included three games against teams -- Vikings, Chiefs, Jaguars -- that currently own a winning record. The Steelers went 2-1 in those games.
WHAT'S BREWING?
• Rob Ullman's Cartoon Canon is pushed back to tomorrow so that Taylor Haase can offer a special Halloween edition of Favorites and Likes.
• Katie Brown is flying over to Edmonton this morning to cover the Penguins' practice at Rogers Place. DK is hanging in Winnipeg an extra few hours, but he'll fly over there, too, by nightfall.
• I've got my first Live Qs at 5 today.
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STEELERS TODAY
• Event: Practice
• Time: 10:45-12:30 p.m.
• Location: Rooney Sports Complex
• Our coverage: Lolley, Lysowski, Sunday
PENGUINS TODAY
• Event: Practice
• Time: 2-3 p.m. Eastern
• Location: Edmonton, Alberta
• Our coverage: Brown
LIVE Qs AT 5
• Today: Lolley, entries at 2 p.m.
• Wednesday: Gajtka
• Thursday: Mueller
• Friday: Snyder
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• Wednesday: Benstonium video, by Benson
• Thursday: Cartoon Canon, by Ullman
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