Another option may have been presented to the Pittsburgh Steelers as they try to address their cornerback situation for the 2024 season.
The organization has been linked to a number of prominent players at the position that they may look to pursue this offseason. They need someone to play alongside Jay Porter Jr. throughout the upcoming season.
There is currently a new candidate for the job.
Jeremy Fowler of ESPN reports that a number of NFL teams think the New Orleans Saints would trade for Marcus Lattimore.
Lattimore is a gifted cornerback that the Steelers may find interesting in their pursuit of a new corner.
Parker Abate of Steelers Nation believes that now that Lattimore is thought to be available, the Steelers should pursue a trade for him.
Why Lattimore is Available
Just a couple of years ago, Lattimore was considered one of the best corners in the NFL.
He had made the Pro Bowl in four of his first five seasons in the league and had defended 19 passes in 16 games in that fifth season.
The last two seasons haven’t been quite as great for Lattimore. Since signing a huge contract extension with the Saints, the star corner has struggled to stay on the field.
In 2022, he suffered a lacerated kidney in Week 5 that kept him out for most of the rest of the season. He was limited to just 7 games that year.
The injury situation didn’t get much better in 2023. He suffered a high ankle sprain in Week 10 that kept him out for the rest of the year.
Now the Saints find themselves with some difficult decisions to make during the 2024 offseason.
The team has one of the worst cap situations in the league as one of only seven teams that is currently over the cap.
Unlike many other teams navigating their cap situation right now, the Saints don’t have a lot of cuttable contracts that can help them out.
That will likely leave them needing to trade one of their bigger names to free up space. Alvin Kamara is a name that has already come up, but his deal becomes cuttable after the 2024 season, which could make Lattimore a more appealing trade piece.
After missing 17 games in the past two seasons, the Saints might feel like it’s time to move on from the player they selected 11th overall in the 2017 draft.
If that happens, it would be a big opportunity for the Steelers.
A Great Fit for the Steelers
It would be difficult for the Steelers to do much better than Lattimore in their search for a starting corner this offseason.
He hasn’t allowed a completion percentage higher than 60% when targeted since his rookie season.
Lattimore has kept his yards per target allowed to 6.5 or less in each of the last two seasons and has also brought his yards per completion below his career average in those years.
He would also provide the speed that the Steelers’ secondary lacks. He ran the 40 in 4.36 seconds before he was drafted.
He should still have a few seasons remaining in his prime because he will just be 28 in 2024.
Because he missed so much action over the last two seasons due to a lacerated kidney rather than a bone or muscle injury, any fears about injuries may also be exaggerated.
Additionally, the Steelers will probably save money on his deal rather than paying top players like L’Jarius Sneed or Jaylon Johnson.
Lattimore would be a terrific addition to the Steelers, and if they could receive a reasonable trade price, it would free them up to use their draft picks to address other pressing needs on the team.
