As I've said in this column, when it comes to fantasy baseball or football, I like making a good trade and I'm always looking to improve my team.

But what about when it comes to actual trades with actual players?

I'll admit that when there was serious talk last week about the Steelers possibly trading troubled quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, it piqued my interest.

Would I really want to see the Steelers trade their two-time Super Bowl-winning quarterback? My mind raced to all the possibilities.

A first-round pick this year, then maybe a later pick in the draft and something else next year? Maybe a first-rounder and a player to bolster one of the Steelers' weaknesses?

Either way, two first-round picks this year sounded good. At quarterback, the team brought back Byron Leftwich, who played well in a backup role in 2008 when the team won the Super Bowl.

That seemed to be a good move, especially if Roethlisberger was traded. The Steelers were asking for a top 10 pick and would have drafted a quarterback for the future, most likely Jimmy Clausen of Notre Dame.

However, they couldn't pry away the St. Louis Rams' No. 1 pick overall, which they kept to draft Sam Bradford of Oklahoma, the only slam-dunk QB in the draft.

So, on Wednesday, the day before the draft, and Thursday morning I jumped online whenever I could or turned on the TV to see if the big deal was done.

I was all for a trade before it seemed that the Steelers were content with getting just one draft choice, just in the top 10 of the draft.

Not knowing if there were other players being thrown in, unless they got the No. 1 pick to get Bradford, I realized I no longer wanted to see a trade.

The Steelers are better off with Roethlisberger quarterbacking than anyone else they were going to bring in.

Let's put this out there: What he did was despicable and unacceptable. How he can face his mother and sister is beyond me. But unless others come out of the woodwork and accuse Roethlisberger of past indiscretions, it's safe to say he's now hit rock bottom.

Sure, his value is at its greatest now, even with a four- to six-game suspension to open the 2010 season. But if he's truly sorry for his actions and behavior, he should get the chance to make things right.

I think this whole matter has been very embarrassing and humbling. Roethlisberger deserves the chance to attend any counseling or evaluations the NFL or the Steelers ask.

If Roethlisberger wants to make amends, he should be allowed to prove he can. If he gets himself on the right path and stays there, he will endear himself to his teammates and will win back the fans who have left him.

A trade could have set the franchise back several seasons. Elite quarterbacks are pretty rare. Remember the long line after Terry Bradshaw?

But it's up to Roethlisberger to prove they did the right thing.

Sam Tallarico is a staff writer for the Butler Eagle.