The Pittsburgh Steelers will embark on their journey to get back to the playoffs on Friday as they opening training camp for the 2014 season. For the most part, every position is squared away with a starter and in some cases even the backup, but one of the biggest position battles to watch will be on the offense. That battle will determine who will start opposite Antonio Brown at wide receiver.
Brown emerged as one of the elite pass catchers in the game last season, finishing second in the league in receptions and yards, but the second and third options behind him left the organization during free agency, leaving a big gap in the depth chart.
Lance Moore will most likely get the first chance to start opposite Brown. The Steelers brought Moore in from the New Orleans Saints on a two-year contract.
Moore is coming off a down season this past year in which he only caught 37 passes in Drew Brees’ pass happy offense as the team started to go with a younger approach at the receiver position. Never really given an opportunity to be a starter, Moore has still been able to rack up the numbers in New Orleans, which included a 2008 season that saw him catch 79 passes for 928 yards and 10 touchdowns. He is just three years removed from a 1,000 yard season. There is still plenty left in the tank and Moore could explode in an expanded role.
Earning the starting job won’t be easy, as Moore will go up against a player that the Steelers drafted to take this spot just a year ago in Markus Wheaton. The third-round pick out of Oregon State was drafted to be Mike Wallace’s replacement, but injuries nulled his rookie campaign and limited the young wideout to just 6 receptions.
Wheaton may not have the ideal size in mind (Moore even less so), but his speed and playmaking ability could allow him to be a great option behind Brown. His NFL.com draft profile even listed his NFL comparison as Brown. Injuries have been Wheaton’s biggest obstacle to begin his career, as he was battling one during OTAs as well.
Another free agent signing, Darrius Heyward-Bey, has the highest road to climb out of any player fighting for even a roster spot. But his experience, as well as his upside (someone in Oakland had to see something in him to take him in the top-10 other than speed, right?) could make him an interesting watch during camp.
Known for his blazing speed, Heyward-Bey stands at 6’2”, giving Ben Roethlisberger a deep threat and that taller receiver that he has been looking for. What really keeps Heyward-Bey from being a potential starter right now is his hands. Last year, Heyward-Bey caught 29 passes but dropped nine passes as well.
The Longshots
Should the Steelers look to go in a different direction, they will have some high upside players that they could employ, all of which match Ben’s need/desire for a tall receiver.
Local boy Derek Moye received a very brief shot with the team last season, as he made the final 53-man roster. But he only caught two passes last season, and one of them was a fade in the corner of the end zone for a one-yard touchdown. The other was a leaping grab against the Baltimore Ravens in which the defender hit Moye at the legs while he was in the air, causing him to flip. At 6’5”, Moye is the tallest receiver in camp this season, but he is still likely the rawest and could have the most limited upside.
Many who follow the Steelers have a player with the last name of Brown as a potential 2014 sleeper, just not the one named Antonio. 2013 sixth-round pick Justin Brown has appeared to take a huge step from year one to year two between Moye and himself. Brown had six receptions in the preseason last year before he was assigned to the team’s practice squad. Standing at 6’3” himself, Brown caught 146 passes during his college career with both the Penn State Nittany Lions and the Oklahoma Sooners. If training camp is about the guys at the bottom of the depth chart making noise, he could make the loudest noise.
The Wildcard
If there is one player that could shake up the entire receiving group, it is fourth-round pick Martavis Bryant. Standing at 6’4” and running a 4.4 40-yard dash, Bryant’s game is reminiscent of a very raw Randy Moss. Stuck behind two first-round picks at Clemson (DeAndre Hopkins and Sammy Watkins), Bryant never really got the opportunity to be the “go-to” receiver, putting a hamper on his development, which will now be up to the Steelers.
Watching his highlight reel, he could form a match made in football heaven with Ben Roethlisberger. But to expect so much this season can be dangerous. Bryant will likely have his own package that will involve only a handful of routes, and his speed can be used as a decoy to pull the secondary back to open up underneath.
The Steelers could very well hold out until Week 1 to decide who the other starting receiver will be. Until then and even into the season, it could very well be a rotation of any number of the aforementioned players. As far as position battles go, this could very well be the most heated in camp.
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