Steelers Star WR Named Possible Draft Trade

The Pittsburgh Steelers don't appear to be actively shopping wide receiver George Pickens, though a trade can't be completely ruled out ahead of the NFL Draft.

ESPN's Adam Schefter named Pickens when parsing through a list of players on rookie contracts who "could be deemed expendable", though he didn't note how likely a deal was or if Pittsburgh has fielded any calls about the 23-year-old in recent days or weeks.

There was some thought that Pickens would be available heading into the offseason given that he has one year left on his deal, though those rumors never gained any traction leading into free agency.

The Steelers' acquisition of DK Metcalf from the Seattle Seahawks, however, did reintroduce questions about Pickens' long-term future with the team.

It's not common to see organizations hand out massive deals to multiple receivers, and considering Metcalf agreed to a four-year extension worth $132 million upon arriving in Pittsburgh, Pickens' chances of sticking around took a hit.

General manager Omar Khan and head coach Mike Tomlin have both adamant that Metcalf's presence would have no bearing on Pickens when discussing the topic, though, and they've remained true to their word thus far.

The Steelers' goal is to contend, and with a receiver room that's still lacking in depth, trading away Pickens would do little to help them achieve their goals next season.

At the same time, sending him elsewhere would be a wise move if they truly have no intentions of extending him. With no second-round pick and a desire to land a quarterback in the draft, trading Pickens could net Pittsburgh additional assets and potentially set it up handsomely for the coming years.

Again, there's little buzz surrounding a Pickens trade, but it's certainly peculiar that Schefter mentioned him, so perhaps it's a topic worth monitoring over the coming days.

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