There’s often a difference between the things a reporter will write, and the things a reporter will say.
When putting words on paper (real or electronic), there’s always a greater degree of care. When putting words into the ether, everyone (me included) is a little looser. It happens all the time.
The latest example of that dynamic comes from Mark Kaboly, who serves as the Steelers correspondent for The Pat McAfee Show. And the question is whether the Steelers are considering a potential trade of linebacker T.J. Watt, amid an ongoing contract dispute.
Here’s what Kaboly tweeted on Friday: “[T]here has been no inquires made to other teams about trading [Watt], according to sources.” In an appearance earlier in the day on 93.7 The Fan, however, Kaboly said something that seems contradictory on the face (even if it isn’t).
On the question of what the Steelers could get in trade for Watt (first-round pick, second-round pick, etc.), Kaboly said this of the Steelers: “[T]hey are obviously inquiring to see what that might be.” When co-host Andrew Fillipponi seemed alarmed by that claim, Kaboly said, “I’m sure that’s due diligence there at this point, right?”
This isn’t a criticism of Kaboly. It’s an effort to drill down to the truth that lurks in the sweet spot between things written and things said. Officially, the Steelers haven’t inquired to other teams about trading Watt. Unofficially, as Kaboly said it on the air, they’re talking to other teams not about trading for Watt, but in an effort to find out, hypothetically, what his trade value might be.
As Kaboly said, it’s “due diligence.” It’s important to know all options before making a decision.
And that makes sense. The recent report from NFL Media last month wasn’t “there’s no way they’ll ever trade him.” It was that they have “no intention” to trade him.
Imagine the Chiefs saying they have “no intention” to trade Patrick Mahomes. Or the Bills as to Josh Allen. Or the Bengals as to Joe Burrow. “No intention” means the player isn’t untradeable. And, on multiple occasions in the past, a team that had “no intention” to trade a player did.
In this case, whoever trades for Watt (if that happens) would have to make him happy financially and give the Steelers enough to get them to move on from their most important player at a time when they seem to be going all in to win a playoff game for the first time since the months before Watt was drafted in early 2017.
The due diligence could be part of an effort to say to Watt, when nut-cutting time arrives in the negotiations, “T.J., no one else is going to give you what you want AND what we want.”
If the Steelers want to best frame that issue, they could give Watt permission to shop himself. The Bengals did it with Trey Hendrickson, who learned that there was no one who’d satisfy both him and the Bengals.
It’s a minefield, to be sure. The mere fact that the Steelers apparently have tiptoed into it speaks to the extent of the gap between the two sides.
In the end, the question becomes whether Watt will take or reject the best offer the Steelers make before Week 1. He may want more than Myles Garrett’s $40 million per year. If Watt is offered $36 million per year, would he give up $2 million per week?
As mentioned on July 4, the Steelers seem to believe he won’t. They, and everyone else, may find out otherwise when Week 1 rolls around, with the Steelers rolling into MetLife Stadium for a fairly significant date with the Jets.
For now, it seems that the Steelers are trying to find out what fair trade value would be, if they decide between now and the trade deadline that they need to explore that potential route more carefully.
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