NFL insider confirms suspicion that a Steelers WR trade is imminent, 'That's going to happen'
The fodder surrounding the Pittsburgh Steelers and their WR situation has continued to grow post-NFL Draft. With the team starting mandatory minicamp on Tuesday, that talk will only heat up as the WR #2 position leaves something to be desired. But according to Jason La Canfora of The Washington Post, there is no need to […]
The fodder surrounding the Pittsburgh Steelers and their WR situation has continued to grow post-NFL Draft.
With the team starting mandatory minicamp on Tuesday, that talk will only heat up as the WR #2 position leaves something to be desired.
But according to Jason La Canfora of The Washington Post, there is no need to worry, as the Steelers are surely adding another playmaker on the perimeter:
Steelers to Add another WR
"I'm pretty bullish on the Steelers," La Canfora told In the Huddle's Carl Dukes of Pittsburgh's 2024 outlook. "They're going to add a receiver at some point between now until the trade deadline. That's going to happen. They've budgeted for it. They've been trying to make it happen. I'd be stunned if it doesn't."
When La Canfora says that the Steelers have budgeted for it, he's referring to the re-structure of Alex Highsmith's contract, which occurred before the draft in April. The move freed up around $7m in cap space, allocating a total of $15.8m as of June.
That is more than enough to trade for players like Brandon Aiyuk, whose fifth-year option totals out around $14m.
But the money isn't the issue for Pittsburgh, or at least not the tangible money. It's the draft capital that Pittsburgh is held up on.
If San Francisco or Seattle were willing to part ways with their playmakers for day two picks, I'm sure this move would have already been done. Pittsburgh knows the position needs to be addressed, no matter how optimistic they are regarding the outlook of the current WR room:
Right now, l'd say Van Jefferson, but to be honest, you can throw [Quez] Watkins, [Cordarrelle] Patterson, Calvin Austin III, Scotty Miller, Marquez Callaway and Denzel Mims in there as well. Yeah, it's not a good situation, and the Steelers know that. It would show a lack of awareness and urgency if they don't add a legit No. 2 before the season starts. And I think they will. – The Athletic's Mark Kaboly, "Who's WR #2?"
The NFL is prepared to go on vacation if they aren't already starting on Friday. With plenty of downtime between the start of training camp and the end of this week, a trade could happen at any time, but between now and September seems like the best bet.
Pittsburgh could wait until the trade deadline in November, but the longer they wait, the more expensive a trade would cost.
Steelers’ Mike Tomlin addresses the elephant in the room after signing three-year contract extension
He knows what has to be done.
