Steelers Need Right Answer to WR Problem
PITTSBURGH -- The Pittsburgh Steelers have a wide receiver problem. They only have five on the roster, with one not having any NFL experience, another being primarily a special teamer and the last not playing last season due to injury. So, really, they have two wide receivers available for Kenny Pickett.
How they go about fixing this problem, though, has to be done strategically. Pittsburgh can't go sign any random player off the street and feel comfortable. They need to find a weapon while, at the same time, leaving room for the younger weapons they want to develop.
It's the biggest knock against signing Odell Beckham Jr. The Steelers could certainly use a Pro Bowler on their roster, and having a reliable star in OBJ will only boost the confidence and ability of Kenny Pickett.
At the same time, it removes reps for Calvin Austin III and the presumed rookie that'll enter the building next month. So, what's more important, developing two young players or having a star in Beckham?
The answer is somewhere in between. OBJ is too big of a star, but there are options out there that are willing to come off the bench and provide needed reps instead of starter reps. That allows the Steelers to work in their younger players while having a veteran set of hands on deck for Pickett.
Jamison Crowder, Jarvis Landry and Breshad Perrimen all come to mind. All three are starter-capable, but at this point in their careers, it's more realistic to expect them to be role players with a decent role within an offense.
Pittsburgh can play Austin in the slot, work in a rookie and still have a veteran playing a solid number of reps to add experience to the field.
Yes, all three of those names are starters over Austin and a rookie, but the Steelers won't want them to be.
The Steelers were looking into Mack Hollins, who would have filled the role perfectly - and is exactly what Pittsburgh is looking for. They need a veteran who can be there when called upon without being a superstar.
No, it doesn't make sense for the Steelers to sign OBJ. They do need a wide receiver, though. It just needs to be someone who's willing to play the role Pittsburgh needs, not the role they should have in an inexperienced offense.
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