Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports
After ranking 28th in scoring last season, seeing the Pittsburgh Steelers overhaul their offense came as no surprise. Not only has Matt Canada been replaced with a former NFL head coach in Arthur Smith, but the Steelers also got rid of all their 2023 quarterbacks and now start fresh with Russell Wilson and Justin Fields.
So, problem solved, right? Not exactly.
In addition to the offensive line still facing questions, the Steelers still have some uncertainty at the receiver position. George Pickens is entrenched as the unquestioned No. 1 target in the offense, but the rest is largely up in the air.
Several additions have been made, such as drafting Michigan’s Roman Wilson in the third round, in addition to adding Van Jefferson, but some, like The Athletic’s Mark Kaboly, still don’t believe Pittsburgh has their No. 2 receiver on the roster.
Now, Kaboly is even indicating that he expects Steelers GM Omar Khan to add a “legit” secondary weapon before the 2024 season kicks off. But who is even available? Here are five potential solutions for the Steelers.
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I’m willing to accept that Allen Lazard no longer qualifies as a “legit No. 2 WR”, but he is available via trade. Lazard fell out of favor with the Jets last season following Aaron Rodgers’ injury, where he finished with just 311 yards and a touchdown while getting benched down the stretch. It was a far cry from just two years ago when he led the Green Bay Packers in targets in 2022 while having a career-high 788 yards to go with a respectable six touchdowns.
If the Steelers are interested in adding more size to their receiving corps (6-foot-5, 227 pounds), Lazard could be the perfect fit. Lazard has a $12 million cap hit this season, so the Jets might have to eat a healthy portion of his salary to ship him out of town, but that could make Pittsburgh an ideal landing spot by only having to part with a late-round pick, at best. But there are likely better players available.
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The only free agent on this list, Michael Thomas, could be signed today if there’s mutual interest. The two-time All-Pro appears to be a shell of his peak form, but he may just need a change of scenery. After recording 448 yards and one touchdown in seven starts (10 games) last season, Thomas has shown plenty capable of being better, but he just hasn’t been able to perform since his record-breaking season in 2019 when he set the receptions record with 149 catches and 1,725 yards.
But he could be rejuvenated playing in a new offense with a former Super Bowl-winning quarterback in Russell Wilson, and his veteran experience could be a great fit in Pittsburgh.
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There’s no indication that Tyler Lockett is actually available, but if there’s one team he’d likely welcome a trade to more than any other, it’s the Pittsburgh Steelers, thanks to the presence of his former QB, Russell Wilson.
The Seahawks won their Super Bowl during the 2013 season, and Lockett was drafted two years later, which means he’s still starved for his first NFL Championship, and joining Mike Tomlin’s effort in Pittsburgh could provide a lifeline. Lockett has just two years left on his contract, and Seattle did draft Jaxon Smith-Njigba in the first round last season. they also have D.K. Metcalf, so the 31-year-old Lockett may be available for the right price.
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Trade rumors about Brandon Aiyuk will continue until he either signs a contract extension with the San Francisco 49ers or becomes a free agent at the end of the season. With Aiyuk still unsigned, it’s possible the Steelers step in with an offer too good to refuse.
If the Steelers could somehow land the second-team All-Pro, they’d be adding one of the NFL’s best route runners to what would suddenly be a very potent receiving corps when paired with George Pickens and Pat Freiermuth.
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The 49ers are in a similar boat with Deebo Samuel, although he’s at least signed through 2025, which makes a trade today a lot less likely. While San Francisco did select Ricky Pearsall in the first round as a potential long-term starter, they may not want to part with Samuel before it’s absolutely necessary.
Then again, if they’re picking between Aiyuk, Pearsall, and Samuel, the latter’s most likely to go since he’s the oldest receiver of the trio at 28 years old. But the Steelers don’t care about Samuel’s age, or the fact that he’ll want a new contract, they’ll just plug him into Arthur Smith’s offense and take advantage of his ability to rack up yards after the catch. And as a bonus, they can even incorporate him into their running game too, helping the ‘offensive weapon’ come alive in Pittsburgh.
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