PITTSBURGH — It very well might be addition by subtraction.

The Steelers' value proposition also includes essentially taking a third-round pick now versus potentially getting production while also risking a potential George Pickens crash out.

Where the equation doesn't balance for me involves the idea of timing.

In other words, why did the Steelers trade Pickens now instead of during the NFL draft? Where, of course, they did not take a wide receiver.

Let's hope there's a coherent, not-yet-known plan because I can't possibly be the only one having trouble understanding the ultimate goal here.

Is it to win in 2025, or simply stockpile assets for the 2026 NFL draft? Will DK Metcalf be a walking double-team, or part a group of wideouts with actual depth?

It's also probably worth mentioning that the Steelers don't have a sparkling recent track record of plans coming to fruition (here's lookin' at you, Aaron Rodgers and Brandon Aiyuk ... and even Mike Williams).

Pickens could certainly be a pain in the butt at times. The off-field drama was too much and probably not handled aggressively enough by Mike Tomlin, who at least publicly seems to prefer new-age parenting to tough love when dealing with nuisance receivers.

It's also true that a third-round pick in football isn't the same as a third-rounder in baseball or hockey.

It's how the Steelers acquired Payton Wilson, Alex Highsmith, Diontae Johnson (there was at least some good in there), Mason Rudolph, Cam Sutton (the first time), James Conner and Javon Hargrave.

Then again, it's also where they got DeMarvin Leal, Kendrick Green, Justin Layne and Sammie Coates — all since 2015. Still a bit of a crapshoot.

Which is why I wouldn't have felt like I needed to move Pickens simply because he'll be a free agent and maybe a nuisance.

I also think it's important here to remember that there could be something that we don't see, perhaps the addition of one of Rodgers' longtime favorite targets in Allen Lazard.

If so, fine.

Lazard, 29, had 37 catches for 530 yards and six touchdowns with the Jets last season. He'll make just $2.25 million. Having him and a third-round pick would certainly work out better than a petulant Pickens.

They could also pursue Keenan Allen or Amari Cooper, but that's where this whole thing starts to break down for me.

One, they haven't done any of that, nor has Rodgers signed here.

The uncertainty at quarterback is actually one of the reasons I might've kept Pickens and dared him to misbehave.

It's his next contract. What's the going rate for a wide receiver who can't rein it in under these circumstances, where the entire football world knows you need to stop acting foolish to grab that first big contract?

Even Pickens, through sources, seemed to signal his intent to play out his rookie contract and seek a massive deal in free agency next March.

Acting out would've labeled Pickens as a full-on head case. Surely he has people in his corner telling him it's now or never. Play well, show you've changed, and there's generational wealth waiting on the other side.

I would not have minded seeing that happen in Pittsburgh, when Pickens opposite Metcalf would've given the Steelers a 1-2 punch at receiver that they've lacked for a long time.

It certainly would've helped Rodgers, Rudolph, Will Howard or whoever lines up under center, though it's not without the obvious risk — of Pickens quitting on plays, throwing a sideline tantrum, fighting with people or who the heck knows, really.

Now, the Cowboys inherit that risk. They also get what could benefit from it — the prolific catches, the athleticism and body control, the upside of Pickens that was plenty obvious to those of us who watched him here.

The Steelers decided that a third-round pick was worth it, but this is also a group that went through the 2024 season with Pickens surrounded by Van Jefferson, Scotty Miller and Calvin Austin all shoehorned into larger roles.

The same one that thought Cordarrelle Patterson was the answer to every question and that has been perfectly fine waiting around on Rodgers when outside opinion has generally been they should move on.

One that previously said it preferred Justin Fields or Russell Wilson and signed neither, that backed Kenny Pickett and Mason Rudolph before pivoting to Wilson and a team that has very much been spinning its offensive wheels since Ben Roethlisberger retired.

Again, it's a choice ... and one that's perfectly defensible given Pickens' actions and the situation that he created here. You'd have to think that those inside the organization are tired of dealing with the drama or answering questions about Pickens' antics.

But it also feels a little like the Steelers are living in their fears ... of Pickens becoming an even bigger problem.

I'm not the type to root for players to fail, so I hope Pickens figures it out and does what's best for him and his family. But it's also imperative on the Steelers' side for that third-round pick to amount to something and to execute a succession plan that actually makes sense.

____

© 2025 the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Visit www.post-gazette.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.