Mark Madden: Acquiring Jonnu Smith shows Steelers' true commitment to Arthur Smith’s offense

What was the purpose of the big trade the Pittsburgh Steelers made?

Exchanging safety Minkah Fitzpatrick for cornerback Jalen Ramsey is a swap of fading performances and bloated paychecks. It’s worth a try. Changes of scenery might jump-start. Still not sure how that secondary lines up. Lots of cornerbacks, not enough safeties.

Tight end Jonnu Smith seems the big get.

The Steelers have gone 477 days since having a true No. 2 wideout. (The brief period when DK Metcalf and George Pickens were on the roster this offseason doesn’t count.)

But now, with Smith, Pat Freiermuth and Darnell Washington, the Steelers have the depth, size and quality at tight end to make offensive coordinator Arthur Smith’s scheme work as it’s designed.

Washington is 6-foot-7, Freiermuth 6-5 and Jonnu 6-3. Toss in Metcalf at 6-4, and the Steelers can create matchup hell for some teams. Plenty of big targets.

That should also up the ante in the red zone, where the Steelers’ efficiency ranked a meager 28th last season at 48.2%.

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Aaron Rodgers does OK inside the 20, too: 19 touchdowns and two interceptions last year with the New York Jets. (A big part of doing better in the red zone is mindset: not settling for field goals.)

Will either Freiermuth or Jonnu Smith equate to a No. 2 wideout this season? That was supposed to happen last year with Freiermuth but really didn’t.

Is 5-9 Calvin Austin III the answer at the No. 2 receiving spot? Perhaps he can sit on one of the tight end’s shoulders.

The best thing about the trade is the change it provides.

The Steelers are stale. Have been for years. Any change is good, even for change’s sake. (The Steelers will never make the big change that should be made, but let’s take what we can get.)

Acquiring Jonnu is a true commitment to Arthur’s offense. (Too many Smiths on the Steelers. Makes for clumsy editing.)

It also hints that Rodgers might downshift from being a gunslinger who had the second-most passing attempts in the NFL last year to operating within the framework of an offense that protects his ancient carcass.

Not sure who lines up at safety opposite DeShon Elliott.

Does Ramsey convert? Does Darius Slay convert? Is it Juan Thornhill? Will great defensive mind Mike Tomlin and defensive coordinator Teryl Austin come up with a hybrid approach that allows the NFL’s most expensive defense to underachieve using a different method?

These are exciting times.

The defense may yet be further adjusted: If you can trade Fitzpatrick, you can trade T.J. Watt if his contract negotiations become an excrement show.

Cam Heyward: “I didn’t expect to lose a teammate like that.”

Memo to Cam: Nobody died.

The Khan Artist did it again!

Kevin Colbert was a much better GM than Omar Khan. Colbert just lacked a catchy nickname.

The Steelers could start eight players who are 30 or older.

Are they all in, or just old?

If the Steelers are all in, they’re all in with a pair of sevens.

Unfortunately, bluffing doesn’t work in the NFL.

They’re a better team after Monday’s trade. But just marginally so.

If the Steelers are all in, it’s not to be a Super Bowl contender. Any idiot can see they’re not that.

The Steelers are all in to merely win a playoff game after eight seasons of not. Desperation is a stinky cologne.