Should Steelers Trade Chase Claypool?
Even following the Pittsburgh Steelers upset win in Week 6 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, wide receiver Chase Claypool has once again found himself in the middle of trade speculation amongst the media.
In recent weeks, multiple members of ESPN have speculated that Claypool could be a player that teams are monitoring as the midseason trade deadline approaches. Claypool’s on pace for career lows in categories such as receiving yards and yards per target but does it make sense for the Steelers to deal him?
When analyzing Claypool’s slow start to his third season, you have take into consideration how much his environment has drastically changed in the past year. Ben Roethlisberger is now a retired podcast host. The Steelers signed Mitch Trubisky to be their starting quarterback but he lasted less than four full games before being benched for Pittsburgh’s first-round draft pick Kenny Pickett. Pickett suffered a concussion during the third quarter of last week's game, prompting Trubisky to enter the lineup once again in the meantime.
Then consider that the Notre Dame product has also switched positions, operating almost exclusively out of the slot when Pittsburgh’s in their 11 personnel groupings.
To be honest, there have been some growing pains as Claypool’s still learning how to adjust on the fly, reading the leverage of defenders and finding the soft spots in zones. When working in the slot, there are more mental responsibilities than there are working outside on the boundary and there’s an expected adjustment period for someone making this type of switch.
During the Buffalo broadcast a couple of weeks ago, Claypool took some heat from Tony Romo saying that he wasn’t quarterback-friendly enough. This came as a result of Claypool stopping on a route against man coverage when he should have likely kept moving across the field. A week prior, he failed to come down with a contested catch opportunity on Kenny Pickett’s first pass attempt which ended up being intercepted.
Some of that criticism is certainly warranted as Claypool's struggles in these areas are well documented.
On the flip side, weekly film reviews have shown that the quarterbacks have missed Claypool on multiple occasions that could have turned into explosive plays. Recently against the Bills, Claypool was wide open on a slant pattern across the middle but wasn’t targeted. Instead, Pickett opted to check it down underneath.
Even during his breakout game against the Bucs, Claypool toasted Keanu Neal on a sluggo route but Pickett didn’t feel comfortable pulling the trigger. These sorts of things happen over the course of the year but these instances surely have to be frustrating for any receiver.
If the Steelers were to trade Claypool, the best option to work inside would likely be Calvin Austin, a rookie fourth-round pick who’s been dealing with a foot injury since before the preseason. The diminutive wideout from Memphis is a talented player who excelled when working outside in college but at this point, he’s an unproven commodity given the lack of exposure so far.
Austin’s a completely different skill set and body type than that of Claypool. Size was a concern throughout the draft process which likely played a factor in his slide into the late fourth round and it’s fair to wonder whether or not he can hold up as an every-down player, working inside with all of the traffic in the middle of the field.
As currently constructed, the Steelers group of wideouts are the strength of the offense. Diontae Johnson is the prototypical route runner as the X, George Pickens gives them a vertical threat and contested catch guru while Chase Claypool offers them a yards-after catch threat and big framed target out of the slot. Even if Austin is just simply a gadget player early on, Pittsburgh has an impressive collection of young talent with a variety of different unique abilities.
There's enough versatility to move guys into different spots and with this much depth. They are also protected in the event of an injury which is sure to occur at some point during a grueling 17-game season.
One thing that's for certain is if the Steelers trade Claypool now, they’re selling low on a player they spent a top 50 pick on just a couple of years ago.
It’s unlikely that they’d be able to fetch anything more than a late day two, early day three pick in return with Claypool only having one more year left on his rookie contract after 2022. Claypool might not be the star that many proclaimed him to be early on during his rookie season but he’s a quality complimentary piece on a cost-controlled deal. Any sort of draft compensation that would be recouped in a trade scenario isn’t likely to be significantly better than what he would fetch in terms of a compensatory selection during free agency down the line.
Instead of fielding trade calls for the third-year wideout, the Steelers ought to find more productive ways to get him the football. It’s no secret that Matt Canada’s offense doesn’t do a great job of scheming targets open in the middle of the field. This has been an area of concern for several years now, as it hurt JuJu Smith-Schuster’s production last season, similar to what has transpired so far with Claypool.
Claypool can be used as a field stretcher up the seam to combat single-high looks. He can be used on bender routes in the middle of the field where quarterbacks can target his big frame and catch radius. You can use him to hunt mismatches, as he’s faster than any linebacker and bigger than pretty much any defensive back in the league. He’s also a talented ball carrier who can glide in space before accumulating yards after contact, carrying defenders forward on tackling attempts.
In order for Pittsburgh’s offense to evolve and become a serious force to be reckoned with, they must stop avoiding the middle of the field like the plague. Against Tampa Bay, Trubisky found Claypool over the middle a couple of times which led to massive conversions down the stretch. These were all a big part of his breakout seven-catch, 97-yard performance which was capped off with his first touchdown of the season.
For an offense that currently ranks 30th in points per drive and 29th in yards per drive respectively, it seems silly that we’re discussing trading away a productive player. Unless, of course, we’re talking about most likely making the unit worse only to acquire draft capital and a better draft pick. Something that Mike Tomlin would surely never do under any circumstance as both he and the organization are rightfully too prideful for such an idea.
Claypool has shown signs of immaturity in the past but despite his flaws, he’s shown that he’s clearly talented enough to make an impact on the field. Unless the Steelers receive an offer that they just can’t refuse, they’re better off keeping him and finding ways to maximize his skill set. And who knows, at just 24 years old, it’s not completely outside the realm of possibility that we haven’t yet seen the best of what he has to offer as a receiver.
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