Pelissero on the Rodgers Decision

Tom Pelissero worked through picks six through ten of the draft board, the state of the trade market, and the biggest lingering unknown hanging over Pittsburgh: Aaron Rodgers.

Cleveland sits at six, and Pelissero flagged Andrew Berry as one of the most nimble GMs during the draft itself. If the Browns stand pat, an offensive lineman remains in play despite the money they've already spent there. If Maui Taupili is gone, options include Spencer Fano, Caden Proctor (maybe the most talented of the group, though weight fluctuation has been a concern), Andre Smith, and Mekhi Becton. Proctor has helped himself in interviews.

Washington at seven lines up neatly with a receiver. Surrounding Jayden Daniels is the obvious roster need, and Jordan Tyson's tape is strong enough that the only question is comfort with his injury history. He was scheduled to work out for clubs a few hours after the segment in Arizona.

Pelissero's macro point was the one to remember. After the elite tier, the cliff is real. Most teams run out of true first-round grades before the 15th pick. That's where movement starts. If your guys get swept up, you bail out. If you're down to one name on your board, you trade up.

Then Rich pivoted to Rodgers. In the 2021 Cleveland draft, Rodgers essentially announced he was done in Green Bay right before the broadcast went live. The question: does Rodgers announce a Pittsburgh decision on Thursday night?

Pelissero shut it down cleanly. He has no anticipation Rodgers announces anything prior to the draft. Art Rooney had floated hopes for a decision around draft time. Pelissero has not been told that's a real deadline. The actual deadline that matters to the Steelers is OTAs in mid-May. They need him on the practice field. Rodgers does unexpected things, sure, and showing up to the draft would save everyone weeks of words, but attending the draft isn't high on his bucket list.

On trades, Pelissero's read was steady. Not likely on Thursday. AJ Brown hangs out there but is a post-June 1 transaction because of cap consequences. Maxx Crosby could get revisited this week, in June, or in August. Myles Garrett's availability is downplayed all the way up to Browns ownership, though Berry has softened his language from last year's flat no.

He floated names for Friday and Saturday movement instead. Anthony Richardson. Will Levis. Dexter Lawrence, if the Giants shift posture. None feel imminent enough for a Thursday bombshell. Nothing, he said, is as far down the line as the Vegas draft when AJ Brown and Hollywood Brown moved in the same first round.

Quiet front, for now. The noise comes Friday.