Former Steelers LB Weighs In On Possible Trade Featuring Dan Moore Jr. For Highly Effective CB Jaire Alexander

The Pittsburgh Steelers, as well as the rest of the NFL, are nearing the trade deadline on October 31st. With seven weeks behind them, most teams are evaluating their needs as well as their goals for the future. This has some teams looking at a firesale to gain draft picks for a 2024 rebuild. It has other teams considering injuries or other unexpected holes in their roster that they need to fill. One name that keeps coming up is Green Bay Packers cornerback, Jaire Alexander. One former Steelers defender is weighing in on if it makes sense to consider a trade for the young star. 

This past offseason, the Packers traded future Hall of Fame quarterback Aaron Rodgers, along with their first and fifth-round picks in the 2023 NFL Draft to the New York Jets in exchange for the Jets' first, second, and sixth-round picks in the same draft. This put the fourth-year quarterback Jordan Love under center and at the helm of a team that seemed destined to struggle. 

While the Packers are not calling 2023 a rebuilding year, they have lost three straight, and many feel that Love is finding leading the team a challenge. On top of Love's struggles, the Packers have been racked with injuries. Now at 2-4 and in third place in the NFC North, they are looking for solutions. This has fans of other teams smelling blood in the water and one of the meaty bits they'd like to pick off this green and gold carcass is Alexander. 

Despite missing some games this season thanks to a back injury, Alexander remains one of the most sought-after corners in the league. He is only 26 and while his numbers might be a bit down this season, he has lots of time to have an impact. According to former Steelers linebacker Arthur Moats, Pittsburgh should consider the trade. 

On a recent episode of Moats' podcast The Arthur Moats Experience, the former Steeler and his co-host Deke answered a question from a fan about trading for Alexander. Moats said he could see justifying the trade for someone of that caliber - either Alexander or Patrick Surtain. 

"Who wouldn't want Jaire [Alexander]? It's still gonna be a first [round draft pick] and something. He's still in his prime."

Moats said that in his opinion if Green Bay is really in "firesale" mode and looking to unload players, they aren't going to let their best players go for peanuts. Getting Alexander will require giving up a first-round draft pick along with something else - either a player or other picks. 

"You would have to have a first in it for a Jaire Alexander. He's a dog bro, I like his game a lot man. I like him a lot. Man to man, he ain't afraid to tackle, he can talk crazy to you, but he's paid paid. He's proven he's that guy."

Deke shared some of the potential trades he saw in the news including the Buffalo Bills trading their 2022 first-round pick Kaiir Elam and two first-round picks. Moats said if he was Buffalo, he wouldn't hesitate to jump on that deal, that's how confident he is in Alexander's talent. 

"He's proven, in his prime," said Moats. "He's one of the premier lockdown corners. Like when you talk Darius Slay, when you talk Jaylen Ramsey, Jaire Alexander is in that same elite of the elites at that position."

One possibility they suggest is offering the Packers quarterback Mitch Trubisky, offensive lineman Dan Moore Jr., and a first-round pick. It is a logical move because Trubisky, who played with the Chicago Bears, knows the division well. 

Moats said that he thinks that Green Bay will hold out to find a team willing to give them two first-round draft picks. They would rather have the "capital" according to Moats than the personnel, despite needing a quarterback. The Packers would possibly take Moore, who is playing well this season, and two first rounds, passing on Trubisky. 

How Much Do The Steelers Really Need Alexander?

The Steelers have really struggled in the secondary this season in large part because of their cornerbacks Patrick Peterson and Levi Wallace. During their recent game against the Los Angeles Rams, the two were consistently getting beat by receiver Puka Nacua. Pro Football Focus has Peterson at an overall grade of 54.6, which is 65th among corners, and Wallace at 46.3 which is 77th. 

The poor performances have fans screaming for Head Coach Mike Tomlin to use rookie Joey Porter Jr. more. While Porter has consistently played more each week, he is still nowhere near being named the starter. 

These shortcomings are especially frustrating when you have so many incredible defenders on this team like T.J. Watt, Alex Highsmith, Minkah Fitzpatrick, and Cam Heyward. They are at times carrying the load for the offense, keeping the team in the game, and in the case of the Cleveland Browns game, they are even scoring points. If the secondary doesn't improve, then Peterson and Wallace might start costing the team games. 

That means that a shutdown corner, that the rest of the defense can count on, like Alexander could be a crucial difference. However, Alexander does come with a big contract that would have to be worked out. He is under a four-year $84 million contract with Green Bay now. He carries a cap hit of $10,755,760 and a dead cap value of $37.6 million.         

It does feel unlikely that the Steelers will drop two first-round picks on Alexander, but with new General Manager Omar Khan at the helm, the team has been more aggressive. We will have to wait until Halloween to see if we get tricked or treated.