While it didn’t make the same headlines, the Pittsburgh Steelers would like to think they just made a great acquisition. Perhaps an addition that will have the same impact to their special teams as the signing of Joe Haden did to the defense a year ago.
On Monday, the Steelers traded a fifth-round pick to the Oakland Raiders for wide receiver Ryan Switzer and a sixth-rounder.
Pitt Panthers fans will recall Switzer as a dominant slot receiver at North Carolina. Against Pitt in 2016, he recorded 16 catches, 208 receiving yards and a touchdown, helping the Tar Heels erase a 13-point lead in the final six minutes.
The Steelers, however, need Switzer’s help in the return game. His ability on special teams makes him a solid acquisition and places the Steelers in a position to make a tough roster decision.
A Dynamic Returner
At North Carolina, Switzer returned just two kickoffs, but with the Dallas Cowboys in his rookie season last year, he routinely returned punts and kickoffs. Despite little experience in the latter, he was quite successful.
Switzer averaged 25.0 yards per kick return and posted a 61-yard return versus the Philadelphia Eagles.
Ryan Switzer also returned the opening kickoff Week 11 for 61 yards. Steelers aiming for his big play potential. pic.twitter.com/ct2JoJuymf
— Alex Kozora (@Alex_Kozora) August 27, 2018
Against the Washington Redskins, Switzer returned a punt for a touchdown, which is something he did seven times at North Carolina.
https://twitter.com/SteelersKillerB/status/1034123746561413121
After just one year in Dallas, Switzer has been traded twice this off-season (from Dallas to Oakland and then to Pittsburgh). That’s never a good sign, but the Steelers mindset is in the right place.
Steelers Fill Void After Lacking Return Options
The Steelers possess the best wide receiver in the league, Antonio Brown, who has five return touchdowns in his career. But as he’s aged, the Steelers have been more reluctant to have him play special teams. Last year, Brown recorded a career-low 11 punt returns.
Second-year wideout JuJu Smith-Schuster emerged as a playmaker at the end of his rookie season. He didn’t return any punts but did average 26.7 yards per kickoff return and posted a 96-yard touchdown return in Week 17.
But the Steelers need Smith-Schuster fresh too. He’s expected to be the team’s number two receiver, so a regular role on special teams isn’t ideal.
Eli Rogers was the only other obvious return option for the Steelers before the Switzer trade, but he’s injured. Rogers is recovering from an ACL tear and is expected to begin the season on the PUP list. He is also suspended for one game for violating the NFL’s substance abuse policy. Rogers led the Steelers with 19 punt returns in 2017.
His injury and the desire to keep the starting receivers off the special teams made a trade for a returner necessary. Switzer came at a relatively cheap price and has quite a bit of upside for a young player.
Pittsburgh Steelers Roster Questions
Acquiring Switzer was necessary and may prove to be a rather shrewd move if he and the return game help win any games. However, it does present the Steelers an interesting roster issue.
There are currently six wide receivers the Steelers would probably like to keep on the active roster.
Steelers now seem destined to keep 6 WRs.
Antonio Brown
JuJu Smith-Schuster
James Washington
Darrius Heyward-Bey
Justin Hunter
Ryan SwitzerSorry Marcus Tucker. Drew short end of the stick. Still practice squad eligible.
— Alex Kozora (@Alex_Kozora) August 27, 2018
Brown and Smith-Schuster are obviously shoe-ins. Since he was a second-round pick, James Washington is too. The Steelers wouldn’t give up a fifth-round pick to then cut Switzer a week later, then add him to the can’t-cut list as well.
The Steelers really like Darrius Heyward-Bey because of his versatility. Although he obviously never lived up to the expectations of being the 2009 seventh overall pick, he’s a veteran that can contribute if an injury occurs. Plus, he helps a lot covering kicks. That’s why he’s entering his fifth season with the Steelers despite catching just 32 passes.
Does that make Justin Hunter the odd-man out? By process of elimination, that appears to be correct.
However, Hunter isn’t making it an easy decision. He hauled in a 32-yard touchdown from quarterback Ben Roethlisberger against the Titans last week. That’s the big-play ability that convinced, coincidentally, the Titans to make him the 34th overall pick in 2013.
Of course, there’s a reason why he’s a reclamation project. Hunter also made two big blunders in the preseason game, one of which led to an interception.
But teams can do far worse at their fourth wide receiver spot. Even if it’s just in flashes, Hunter’s splash ability could be enough to convince the Steelers to keep six wide receivers.
With the acquisition of Switzer, the Steelers not only have a new toy for special teams, they could be forced to make a sacrifice elsewhere on the roster in order to make room for a sixth wideout.
