Steelers' recent signing could spell trouble for sophomore WR
The Pittsburgh Steelers are slated to begin OTA's this week, as we approach phase three of the offseason. There will be storylines, needle movers, and positional battles that lead into training camp and the 2023 season. So today we're going to look at a potential battle at receiver and foreshadow a scenario that may be […]
The Pittsburgh Steelers are slated to begin OTA's this week, as we approach phase three of the offseason.
There will be storylines, needle movers, and positional battles that lead into training camp and the 2023 season.
So today we're going to look at a potential battle at receiver and foreshadow a scenario that may be more possible than you realize. Let's dive in.
Organized team activities are the official start of the installation of the 2023 season. While no live contact is allowed, all the members of the current 90-man roster will be in attendance, with coaches getting hands on the entire group for this first time.
That means it's first impression season for many players but two wide receivers that have a chance to make theirs starting this week are newly signed free agent Hakeem Butler and second-year draft pick Calvin Austin III.
Now your probably wondering how a second-year player could be making his first impression, but it's simple really. Austin missed all of last season with a foot injury and was basically medically redshirted if you will, making this his true first chance at making the team.
And if you wondering how Hakeem Butler, who was just playing in the XFL could possibly be in the running to take Austin's spot, let me give you a brief history lesson that is quite ironic.
Butler was drafted in the fourth round of the 2019 draft by Arizona, where he too missed his whole rookie season with an injury. Then before he could even log a snap in Arizona, he was off the roster come the start of his second year.
Calvin Austin III was also taken in the fourth round, as the Steelers selected the speedy receiver from Memphis in the 2022 NFL draft last April. Now, that doesn't mean that he will follow a similar career path that Butler did, but it would be quite the case of irony if the Steelers were to favor Butler over Austin.
And while typically you would think that size is an advantage in the NFL, in this case, it may not be, as the shorter yet shifter Austin is the only true slot receiver out of the big five that also includes Hakeem Butler, Allen Robinson II, Dionate Johnson, and George Pickens.
So don't hold your breath on the recent signing from the XFL beating out or replacing last year's pick in Austin, but history repeats itself every day and the NFL landscape is no different.
