Steelers Punter Emerging As Potential Trade Target Of Philadelphia Eagles After Confirmed Interest

Perhaps a bit under the radar, the Pittsburgh Steelers have had an ongoing punting competition this summer. Pressley Harvin III has manned the position for two seasons now, but it's come with plenty of inconsistencies. Because of that, the team brought in some legitimate competition to face him. That would be Braden Mann, who spent the first three years of his career punting for the New York Jets. 

Despite steady progression from Mann, the AFC East squad opted to release him back in April. The Steelers immediately claimed him off waivers within days once he became available. Statistics actually favored Mann over the past two years, which led to many believing he was the frontrunner to win the competition. According to Adam Caplan of Pro Football Network, the Philadelphia Eagles could be interested.

"The Eagles already recently waived UDFA P Ty Zentner, and while third-year pro Arryn Siposs was doing well last season before suffering a serious ankle injury during a Week 14 game, the team has tried to bring in competition not just with Zentner, but they placed a waiver claim for former Jets P Braden Mann back in April. So should the Pittsburgh Steelers — who were the team awarded Mann — cut him, keep an eye on the Eagles potentially for his services through waivers once again."

First off, the initial reaction is that this bit of news bodes well for Harvin. Things were tight throughout the summer, but it seems like Harvin actually emerged in training camp in Latrobe. While the 53-man roster has yet to be announced, we are just days away from it. With that, roster cuts will begin taking place over the weekend. With Harvin presumably in the lead to win the punting competition in Pittsburgh, Mann will likely be cut in the coming days. But it is possible that the Eagles could pony up a late round conditional pick for Mann. This would stop another team from claiming him ahead of them like Pittsburgh did.

For the Eagles, Arryn Siposs has been their punter for the past two seasons. In 2022 as a 30-year-old, he showed slight improvements across the board. Still, his net average was still sixth-worst amongst qualifying punters. The Eagles even had Tennessee Titans longtime punter Brett Kern for a few games, and his numbers were even worse. As a result, recent rumors suggest the team will be looking for an upgrade there. 

While Siposs has been an exceptional holder for the kicking unit, that's not enough to keep him over a potentially better punter. After spending the first three seasons of his career with the Eagles, Cameron Johnston signed with the Houston Texans just a few years ago. He remains one of the best in the league at his position, something the team probably wishes they could go back on. 

Should Steelers stick with Harvin for 2023?

Caplan's quote is pure speculative, but it makes sense given the Eagles' interest in Mann back in April when the Jets cut him loose. No, the Eagles won't be giving up anything via trade for Mann when they know he will likely be back on the market in the next few days. Unless something drastic changes in the coming days, the Georgia Tech product will likely be the Steelers' punter for a third straight season.

In the team's preseason exhibition matches, Harvin has landed all six of his punts inside the 20-yard line. Furthermore, when the Steelers played all of their starters, it was Harvin that the team used, not Mann. Mann hasn't been as effective as his counterpart in terms of landing it within the 20-yard line, but he's punted it further. Across nine attempts in the preseason, he has a better net average than Harvin. Still, it seems like Pittsburgh will stick with a familiar face, which could lead to Mann landing with the other team in the state of Pennsylvania. 

Are you comfortable with Harvin as the team's punter for the 2023 season? Do you think it was a bad decision selecting Harvin in the seventh round of the 2021 NFL Draft?