Jul 4, 2025 4 min read

By Dale Lolley

For the Observer-Reporter

newsroom@observer-reporter.com

You’ve got to give it to Steelers GM Omar Khan, the guy knows how to make a big splash.

Earlier this offseason, it was pulling off a trade on the eve of free agency to land wide receiver DK Metcalf. That allowed the Steelers to then ship mercurial wideout George Pickens off to Dallas in another blockbuster move.

Both of those moves pale in comparison to what Khan pulled off earlier this week, sending All-Pro safety Minkah Fitzpatrick and a 2027 fifth-round draft pick to the Dolphins for All-Pro defensive back Jalen Ramsey, Pro Bowl tight end Jonnu Smith and a 2027 seventh-round draft pick.

Player-for-player deals are rare in the NFL. All-Pro players being traded for other All-Pro players is almost unheard of.

What the Steelers did was make themselves a better team for 2025 without mortgaging any of their 2026 stash of draft picks – of which they are currently projected to have 12.

In Ramsey, they get one of the premier cornerbacks in the game, one who has played more than 1,300 snaps in the slot over the course of his career. He’s also played free safety, giving the Steelers plenty of flexibility on the back end of their defense.

And Smith gives the Steelers an additional pass-catching target, one who had a career-high 88 receptions last season, effectively serving as the Dolphins’ No. 3 receiver.

Smith is unlikely to approach that same catch total with the Steelers, but understand that in 2023, when he was with the Atlanta Falcons and then-head coach Arthur Smith, he and fellow tight end Kyle Pitts combined to catch 103 passes for 1,249 yards and six touchdowns.

It stinks that Fitzpatrick had to be included in the deal, but that was a way to make it work financially. And while Fitzpatrick is one of only two defensive backs to be named All-Pro multiple times since 2019, the other is Ramsey.

So while the Steelers are taking a step backward with Juan Thornhill replacing Fitzpatrick, their cornerback trio of Ramsey, Joey Porter Jr. and Darius Slay Jr. is arguably the best in the NFL.

And Smith makes them a better offense. The Steelers led the NFL in three-tight end usage in 2024, utilizing the formation more than 15 percent of the time. They had two tight ends on the field just over 25 percent of the time. That means 40 percent of the time, they had multiple tight ends in the game.

It was a bold move. But as the old proverb goes, fortune favors the bold.

• Fans were screaming for changes to be made following the Steelers’ 28-14 loss to the Ravens in the playoffs. When coach Mike Tomlin didn’t completely turn over his coaching staff, some assumed that meant no changes were being made.

But after the trade of Fitzpatrick, the Steelers are assured of having 11 new starters in the lineup when the season kicks off in September.

That’s a lot of change.

• Those who were concerned with Slay’s age (34), can now breathe easier. Chances are, Ramsey and Porter will play on early downs, with Slay coming in on passing downs and Ramsey sliding inside to the slot.

That should take about 250 or so snaps off Slay’s play total.

• To understand what a baseball-starved city Pittsburgh is, look at the excitement created by the Pirates’ six-game sweep of the New York Mets and St. Louis Cardinals in their latest homestand.

The city wants a winner. It needs a winner.

Despite what many would have you believe, there’s still a strong baseball fan presence in Pittsburgh. When the Pirates have been competitive, they’re clearly the No. 2 team in town ahead of the Penguins, Hockey, while popular, remains a niche sport in many circles.

The latest winning streak didn’t make a dent in the standings. The Pirates remain in last place in the National League Central and went into Friday’s series in Seattle at 12 games under .500.

But it also drives home the fact about what could have been had the Pirates done more in the offseason to acquire hitters.

The pitching has largely been there all season. The hitting? Not so much.

• The Washington County World Series team is in action this weekend at Lew Hays Pony Field – along with the Founders League all-star team – for the Washington 14-year-old Invitational.

It’s the first, and last, opportunity for local fans to see the teams in action before the World Series in early August.

After this tournament, Lew Hays Pony Field is turned over to Tournaments Inc., to get the field in shape for the World Series.

Dale Lolley hosts The Drive on Steelers Nation Radio and writes a Sunday column for the Observer-Reporter. He also is past president of Washington Youth Baseball’s Pony division and the Founders League.