The details of the Pittsburgh Steelers trade for Allen Robinson from the Los Angeles Rams have been released, courtesy of ESPN’s Adam Schefter. In exchange for Robinson and the 251th overall pick (a seventh-round selection) in the upcoming 2023 NFL Draft, the Steelers will part with a seventh-rounder at 234th overall. In addition, the Steelers will be on the hook for just $5 million of Robinson’s salary in 2023. The deal is still contingent on a physical, per Schefter, and Robinson will be in Pittsburgh for one tomorrow.
While he’s coming off two down seasons, Robinson is an accomplished receiver who is still just 29 years old. He can play a big slot role in Pittsburgh while also providing leadership to a young receiver room that has two second-year players in Calvin Austin III and George Pickens.
The Rams just wanted to move on from what they could from Robinson’s salary and found a willing taker in Pittsburgh. On the surface, it’s a great move for the Steelers as they add a veteran and former Pro Bowler just to move down a few spots in the seventh round of the draft. With the Rams eating most of Robinson’s salary, the trade looks to be another win for Steelers general manager Omar Khan.
The trade also eliminates wide receiver as a need for the Steelers early in the draft. While the team has been linked to a number of receivers around the third and fourth round, they’ve also had Boston College wide receiver Zay Flowers mocked to them by ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. With Robinson now aboard, the Steelers hardly have a need at wide receiver anymore, outside of adding potential depth in the seventh round.
While Robinson only played around a third of his snaps in the slot last season, he’s played in the slot a lot in his NFL career. With just one year on his contract, he can provide the bridge for when Austin III is ready to take over the position full time. Coming off a foot injury that wiped out his entire rookie year, the concern was Austin might not be ready this season. Instead of investing draft capital in a rookie to fill the role, the Steelers wisely went out and acquired an accomplished vet and possible mentor in the wide receiver room.
The low-risk nature of the deal makes it a win for Pittsburgh, even if Robinson isn’t a major contributor. For $5 million dollars and a swap of only seventh-round picks, there’s really not much Robinson can do to make Pittsburgh regret the trade. It’s good business by Omar Khan, and here’s to hoping Robinson can bounce back in a big way in 2023.
