As we head into the final week of the preseason, we will be looking at key questions surrounding different positions for the Pittsburgh Steelers. For this piece, we will be looking at the Steelers wide receivers.
Three Big Questions Surrounding the Pittsburgh Steelers Wide Receivers
1. Should the Steelers trade a wide receiver?
The Steelers currently have a surplus of wide receivers and they’re only expected to keep six on their active roster. Instead of cutting a player that will most likely get signed by another team, why not trade a wide receiver for a future draft pick?
After Antonio Brown, Darrius Heyward-Bey and Sammie Coates are the next highest paid wide receivers on the roster. Their contracts aren’t very expensive though, with Heyward-Bey making $1.3 million in each of the next two seasons and Coates making $798,000 in 2017 and $888,000 in 2018. Both players’ contracts are through 2018 and they’re relatively cheap, so teams potentially trading for either player wouldn’t have to worry about resigning them after this season.
Coates would probably be the more sought after player because he’s cheaper and younger than Heyward-Bey. The Steelers could also trade Martavis Bryant, who is making $725,000 in the final year of his contract, but that seems less likely. Coates still has a lot of potential to grow as a receiver and some NFL teams with injuries would probably be willing to give up a decent draft pick for a proven wide receiver.
2. How will Martavis Bryant be used in the offense?
Since Bryant has returned from his year-long suspension, he’s been used in various ways this preseason. The Steelers have drawn up a lot of wide receiver screen plays for Bryant, as well as reverses. This is probably to ensure that Bryant gets the ball in his hands because he’s such a play-maker.
Bryant is a big, physical receiver that will most likely be Ben Roethlisberger‘s favorite red-zone target. The Steelers recently traded for former San Francisco 49er tight end, Vance McDonald, but their tight ends are still below average and Bryant’s red-zone presence will help make up for that. Going along with being physical, Bryant is an above-average blocker among wide receivers and that alone could be what propels him into the other starting wide receiver spot opposite Antonio Brown.
Bryant will most likely be used mainly as a deep threat. His threatening presence will draw the defense’s safety over to help the cornerback, which will help to free up Brown and other receivers over the middle.
3. Which wide receivers will be on the active roster?
The Steelers have at least eight solid wide receivers with starting talent: Antonio Brown, Darrius Heyward-Bey, Sammie Coates, JuJu Smith-Schuster, Martavis Bryant, Justin Hunter, Eli Rogers and Cobi Hamilton.
Brown will obviously be on the active roster as he’s arguably the best wide receiver in the NFL. Heyward-Bey or Coates could be traded as previously discussed. Smith-Schuster will most likely make the active roster as he was the Steelers second round draft pick this year. Bryant will probably start, so he’s expected to be on the active roster.
Hunter signed as a free agent in the off-season and is making $695,000. He’ll once again become a free agent after this season. It’s unlikely that the Steelers will cut Hunter after going out and signing him in the off-season, so he’ll probably be on the active roster as injury insurance.
Rogers is only making $541,000 this year and becomes a restricted free agent at the end of the season, so the Steelers will have the opportunity to match any offer that he receives from other teams. For this reason, and for the fact that Rogers will probably be the main slot receiver this season, it’s very likely that Rogers will be kept on the active roster.
Hamilton is only making $540,000 this year, but he’s not eligible for the practice squad any more. If the Steelers are able to trade a receiver, then it’s possible that Hamilton will make the active roster. However, with the amount of talent at wide receiver that the Steelers have, it’s more likely that Hamilton will be cut and almost immediately picked up by a team in need of a solid wide receiver.
If the Steelers keep six wide receivers on their active roster, the most likely group is: Antonio Brown, Martavis Bryant, Eli Rogers, JuJu Smith-Schuster, Sammie Coates and Justin Hunter.
Main Photo:
