PITTSBURGH — From the moment that Steelers general manager Omar Khan traded Diontae Johnson to the Carolina Panthers, the question has been: How will Pittsburgh replace its No. 2 wide receiver?
“If there’s ever an opportunity to upgrade, whatever the room is, we’re going to look at it,” Khan said when a similar question was posed during training camp. “But I feel good about the room that we have right now. We have a lot of talented players in there and guys who are going to contribute.”
Turns out the first part of that quote was the most telling.
Twice, top-flight receivers have been on the trade block. First, the Steelers got deep into negotiations with the 49ers for Brandon Aiyuk before San Francisco got what it wanted all along, agreeing to a contract extension days before the season began.
The Steelers continued to explore options, showing interest in All-Pro Las Vegas Raiders receiver Davante Adams. However, for a second time, they struck out when Adams got what he wanted: A reunion with Aaron Rodgers on the New York Jets.
After two swings and misses, where do the Steelers go from here? The answer depends on how soon and how significantly the front office believes they need to address the position.
To this point, the production from receivers not named George Pickens has been sporadic. The Steelers’ No. 1 receiver has 26 catches on the season. Combined, so do Calvin Austin III (10), Van Jefferson (8), Cordarrelle Patterson (5), Scotty Miller (2), Brandon Johnson (1) and Roman Wilson (0).
Part of that is a function of the way the offense is built under offensive coordinator Arthur Smith. The offensive line, tight ends and running backs are the focal points. There aren’t going to be a lot of chances for a receiver in an offense that leads the league in 13 personnel usage (17.8 percent) and runs the ball with the second-highest frequency (52.9 percent).
That said, this question mark isn’t going away until the Steelers address it. And if they were willing to pay Aiyuk more than T.J. Watt, that tells you how they really feel about the quality of the depth in the room. If the Steelers want to prevent opponents from game planning to take away Pickens — and have insurance in case he misses time — let’s take a look at some of the options going forward.
Option 1: Keep making calls
If the Steelers are still looking at outside options, there’s still plenty of time before the Nov. 5 trade deadline.
In-division, in-season trades are incredibly rare. But if the Browns continue to unravel, perhaps they’d consider moving Amari Cooper before he hits free agency this offseason. The 30-year-old receiver is owed less than a million dollars for the remainder of the year thanks to an in-season contract amendment, making this a cost-effective potential move. But if the Browns do move Cooper, you’d have to figure Pittsburgh’s the last place they’d want him to land.
Khan did business with the Panthers once. Perhaps he could again. Carolina is in rebuilding mode, and Adam Thielen is on the backstretch of his career at 34 years old with one more year remaining on his deal. Three weeks ago, he went on injured reserve with a hamstring injury. While he’s not considered the deep threat he was earlier in his career, he’s still coming off of a 100-catch, 1,000-yard season and could provide a veteran voice to a young and inexperienced Steelers room.
If the 1-5 Jaguars completely implode, maybe they’d be willing to part with Christian Kirk, who turns 28 next month and is signed through 2025. But what would it do to the trajectory of Trevor Lawrence’s career to remove his best weapon? I wouldn’t trade Kirk, but maybe the Jags will.
With Tennessee in a tailspin, DeAndre Hopkins is another option. The 32-year-old receiver is coming off of a 75-catch, 1,000-yard, seven-touchdown season. Known as a precise route runner, he’d be a nice complementary piece to Pickens.
Option 2: Hope Roman Wilson and Cordarrelle Patterson can provide a spark
The Steelers’ most meaningful attempt to backfill Johnson’s spot on the depth chart came in the draft, when they spent a third-round pick on Michigan product Roman Wilson. His chance to make a difference early in his career hit a snag during the first padded practice of training camp when he sprained his ankle. After a non-linear recovery period, Wilson has been trying to make up for lost time. He was finally deemed healthy enough — and with enough of a grasp of the offense — to make his NFL debut Sunday. However, he played just five snaps and is still looking for his first NFL catch.
Because of the missed time, expectations shouldn’t be too high for Wilson in his rookie season. It sure seems the Steelers want to make him earn his playing time — and his disjointed recovery from the injury didn’t help.
Meanwhile, Patterson — who has been used primarily at running back — looked like an interesting chess piece and was just starting to show his versatile skill set when he got injured in Indianapolis. He has yet to practice in the two weeks since, which makes his inclusion this week in question again.
Option 3: Get Calvin Austin more involved
Jefferson came into this season looking to recapture his top form from his second season, when he won the Super Bowl and posted 50 catches for 802 yards. However, after multiple knee surgeries, he’s not as sudden with his movements and hasn’t created a lot of separation.
Austin, on the other hand, is still growing. Because he lost his entire rookie season to injury, this is really only his second lap around the track. His elite track speed — and the potential for yards after catch — feels like untapped potential. Getting him involved in the screen game or using that quick twitch to set up deep shots could be a way to help the undersized receiver grow into a larger role.
Option 4: Wait until next year
Almost no team has a complete roster without weaknesses. Depending on how much urgency the Steelers feel to win this season, it would be reasonable to wait until next year and simply draft a receiver in the first round.
Coach Mike Tomlin talks constantly about how much more pro-ready receivers are now due to seven-on-seven football and other factors. If the Steelers just spend their first-round pick on a receiver, they ideally would have this question answered for the next five seasons — or more. They would also do so in a much more cap-friendly, cost-controlled way at a time when the market for the position is booming.
The obvious risk here is that there’s no guarantee even a first-round pick would make that instant impact. It also doesn’t change the fact that if Pickens were to get injured this season or check out mentally, it would leave the Steelers with some serious questions at the position.
(Photo: Kirby Lee / Imagn Images)
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