Pittsburgh Moves Porter Jr. to Dallas, and the Corner Room Gets Even Thinner

The Steelers have traded Joey Porter Jr. to the Cowboys, closing out a contract standoff that has been a fixture of this beat since McCarthy called it an "impasse" back in August. Porter Jr. told reporters two weeks ago the situation was "old news." Apparently the front office agreed, just not in the way anyone expected.

The timing is the part worth noting. Jalen Ramsey broke his wrist last week, leaving Brandin Echols, Car'lin Vigers, and Donte Kent as the active cornerback options. Trading Porter Jr. into that environment is a significant ask of whoever those guys are. Pittsburgh was already thin at the position before Ramsey went down; it is thinner now.

The Cowboys were also on the other end of the Broderick Jones trade in August, which makes this the second notable transaction between these two organizations this offseason. What Pittsburgh is accumulating from Dallas in return is not in hand yet, but the organizational logic is consistent: move players whose situations have become complicated, collect capital, trust the depth. That worked out fine with Jones at tackle. Corner is a harder position to paper over.

Brandin Echols is the top name on the depth chart right now. That is where things stand.