Choose which front office moves advance to the Sweet 16
It’s Round 2 of our Steelers March Madness tournament. This year’s theme is front office moves. We started with 64 moments and we’ll take your votes until we have a Final Four and a champion. Let’s take a look at today’s matchups in the Pierogi Bracket.
PIEROGI BRACKET
1 seed: April 20, 1996 – Traded for running back Jerome Bettis
(Traded 2nd round pick (59th overall, Ernie Conwell) and 1997 4th round (121st overall later traded, Jerome Daniels) to Rams for Bettis and 1996 3rd round (72nd overall, Steve Conley)
SetNumber: X64443 TK2 R5 F12
In one of the most lopsided transactions in NFL history, Pittsburgh moved down 13 spots from pick 59 to 72 and added a future 3rd rounder in exchange for Jerome Bettis. The Rams were transitioning to a pass-oriented offense and drafted Nebraska’s Lawrence Phillips. St. Louis gave Bettis the option to pick his destination, and he almost considered Houston. Writers in Pittsburgh didn’t love the trade initially, because Bettis had a pair of down seasons and his contract was up at the end of the year. But they changed their tune after The Bus won Comeback Player of the Year and became the highest-paid player in Steelers history at that point.
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8 seed: March 17, 2022 – Signed free agent offensive guard James Daniels
(signed three-year, $26.5 million deal)
Photo by Todd Kirkland/Getty Images
In 2021, the Steelers suddenly lost David DeCastro, causing them to turn to Trai Turner at right guard. The results were poor, so in 2022, Pittsburgh signed one of the top free-agent guards on the market. Daniels said he came to Pittsburgh because of the history and the opportunity. He started 36 games in three seasons.
2 seed: April 29, 2006 – Traded up to draft receiver Santonio Holmes
(traded 1st round pick (32nd overall, Mathias Kiwanuka), 3rd round pick (96th overall, Gerris Wilkinson), and 4th round pick (129th overall, Guy Whimper) to Giants for 1st round pick (25th overall, Santonio Holmes)
SetNumber: X78614 TK1 R3
Holmes was one of the players Kevin Colbert had his eyes on at the start of the 2006 draft. When he was still available at pick 20, Colbert started making calls. The Chiefs weren’t interested in trading at 20. Neither were the 49ers at 22, but the Giants made the deal at 25. In his four seasons in Pittsburgh, Holmes had 3,835 receiving yards, 20 touchdowns, and one of the most iconic Super Bowl moments ever.
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10 seed: November 30, 2021 – Signed defensive tackle Montravius Adams from the New Orleans practice squad
(signed a one-year, $990,000 deal)
Photo by Justin K. Aller/Getty Images
The Steelers were making history for all the wrong reasons. They were on the verge of becoming the team with the worst rushing defense in franchise history. Pittsburgh had just given up 41 points in back-to-back weeks. Something needed to change, so they poached Adams from the Saints practice squad. He’s earned two contract extensions since then, playing in 46 games over four seasons and starting 21.
3 seed: October 3, 2015 – Signed free agent kicker Chris Boswell
(signed two-year, $960,000 deal)
Photo by Justin K. Aller/Getty Images
In Week 4, kicker Josh Scobee missed two fourth-quarter field goals in an overtime loss to the Baltimore Ravens. He was released two days later and replaced with Boswell. Since then, Boswell has played in 150 games in the black and gold and has more 50-yard field goals than all other Steelers’ kickers combined.
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11 seed: March 16, 2024 – Signed free agent quarterback Russell Wilson
(signed a one-year, $1.21 million deal)
Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images
Denver was so desperate to part ways with Russell Wilson, that the Broncos released him and still paid his $37.79 million salary. Whatever team signed him next would only pay the veteran minimum. After a four-hour meeting between Wilson and Mike Tomlin that is said to have been “perfect,” number three joined the black and gold.
5 seed: April 5, 1993 – Signed free agent quarterback Mike Tomczak
(signed three-year, $2.55 million deal)
Photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images
By the time Neil O’Donnell cemented his position as starting quarterback, it was time for the Steelers to move on from Bubby Brister. They needed a new backup, and Tomczak saw Pittsburgh as his best opportunity for playing time. He stayed for seven seasons, starting nearly all of 1996, including two playoff games.
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13 seed: August 11, 2011 – Signed free agent receiver Jericho Cotchery
(signed a one-year, $860,000 deal)
Cotchery felt underappreciated in New York. Pittsburgh seemed like a good opportunity. Antwaan Randle El left (again). Hines Ward was 35. Antonio Brown was weeks away from his breakout. Although he ended up being the fourth or fifth name on the depth chart, Cotchery played in 43 games over three seasons, including 2013, when he had 602 yards and 10 touchdowns in six starts.
Round 2 continues tomorrow with the Halupki Bracket, which saw a bunch of upsets in the first round. Vote early and often!