Buy Or Sell: WR Calvin Austin III has no significant role in Arthur Smith’s Pittsburgh Steelers offense.
Explanation: Although the Steelers are currently thin at wide receiver, Calvin Austin III isn’t likely to be a starter. George Pickens and perhaps a rookie will command the lion’s share of snaps at the position. Arthur Smith likes to use extra blockers, and they’re stocking up on them with MyCole Pruitt most recently. Austin is one of the smallest players in the entire NFL, on the other hand, and currently a one-dimensional player.
Buy:
What exactly do you expect the 5-9, 162-pound Calvin Austin III to do in Arthur Smith’s offense? The starting offense likely features WR George Pickens, a rookie, TEs Pat Freiermuth and Darnell Washington, and RB Najee Harris. If they want to switch things up with a more pass-catching set, they can mix in Connor Heyward. Heyward has the benefit of lining up in-line, in the slot, or even in the backfield.
A former fourth-round pick, Austin has thus far only shown that he has deep speed. But the Steelers already signed veteran Quez Watkins as a potential deep threat, so do they even need Austin? Watkins has six career 40-plus-yard catches and isn’t going to break apart on contact at 6-0, 193 pounds.
Really, we should probably view Austin as fourth on the wide receiver depth chart right now, behind Van Jefferson. After all, Jefferson played for Arthur Smith last year and is a willing and capable blocker. Were Austin not their punt returner, he wouldn’t even be guaranteed a roster spot.
Sell:
The fact that the Steelers signed Quez Watkins shows that there is a significant role available for Calvin Austin III. It’s not like Arthur Smith hasn’t ever utilized the deep ball in his game—it’s a primary function of play-action passing, which is a staple of his system. And there’s no compelling reason to believe Watkins is significantly better as a deep threat than Austin. The latter should experience his first “real” offense with a decent quarterback in 2024.
The Steelers will need a deep threat, in fact, in the absence of more nuanced route-runners. A player like Austin is going to stress the defense and help get Pickens and the tight ends open underneath. He may only play 15-20 snaps per game, but that’s a decent role, a significant role, which should vary depending on the opponent.
With the Steelers’ 2023 season in the rearview mirror following a disappointing year that came up short in the playoffs once again, it’s time to start asking more questions. Questions about the team’s future in 2024 and beyond. Questions about The Standard.
The rookie class of a year ago was on the whole impressive, but they need to step up into staple starters in 2024. And they likely need a strong influx of talent in both free agency and in the 2024 NFL Draft yet again. In addition to a revisitation of the coaching staff.
These sorts of uncertainties are what I will look to address in our Buy or Sell series. In each installment, I will introduce a topic statement and weigh some of the arguments for either buying it (meaning that you agree with it or expect it to be true) or selling it (meaning you disagree with it or expect it to be false).
