Pittsburgh Steelers: Vance McDonald trade stems from inconsistency

The tight end position has lacked the needed consistency for the Pittsburgh Steelers, which the Vance McDonald trade is the direct result of.

It’s a rare event the Pittsburgh Steelers make their name available on the trade market, yet Tuesday afternoon provided a different beat for the defending division champions. The Steelers sent a 2018 fourth-round pick to San Francisco in exchange for tight Vance McDonald and a 2018 fifth-round draft pick.

With the tight end position seemingly set for the Steelers with Jesse James and Xavier Grimble ready to see majority of the workload, this trade does come as a surprise to some. Others, such as head coach Mike Tomlin, were a little more aggressive when it came to the decision.

According to Pro Football Talk, Tomlin became very critical of the tight end group for Pittsburgh, claiming they were not “consistently varsity enough”.  These are the words of a coach that feels fed up with his tight end position group, but Tomlin wasn’t ready to crown anybody the starter quite yet.

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He said this, via PFT:

"“We’re going to put him (McDonald) in uniform like the rest of them and continue to allow them to sort themselves out. It’s reasonable to expect the guys that are here to respond positively in the right way to his presence and elevate their play.”"

These words speak volume to the true feelings of Tomlin, who feels as if the now-former 49er could come in and give the Steelers solid production right away, calling McDonald an “NFL caliber tight end” during his press conference.

The verdict is still out on the value of the trade. The acquisition of McDonald likely signals the release of either James, Grimble, or Johnson, as the team is likely not to keep four tight ends on the active roster. The jury is still out of McDonald as well, as he has shown flashes of athleticism but has shown problems of holding on to the football.

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Numbers aside, McDonald now finds himself in a much more potent offense with the quarterback and offensive line to help him become successful again. Only time will tell if the move the Steelers made will benefit them through the season, however one thing is apparent: The tight end position isn’t as stable as once thought.