Player: WR Scotty Miller
Stock Value: Purchased
Reasoning: The Steelers are reportedly signing veteran WR Scotty Miller, yet another Arthur Smith castoff. A 2019 sixth-round draft pick, he only played under Smith last season in Atlanta. He spent his first four seasons with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, with a marginal resume. For his career, he has 85 catches for 1,085 yards and six touchdowns. He does play some special teams but is not a big offensive contributor. Nobody should view Scotty Miller as a lock to make the roster.
Whether the Steelers ever tried to make a big splash this offseason on a wide receiver, they haven’t succeeded. They have, however, made several ripples that are hardly noticeable. Scotty Miller is the latest, reportedly agreeing to a deal with the team. He likely signs a Veteran Salary Benefit contract, perhaps without a signing bonus.
A sixth-year veteran, Miller spent his first four seasons in Tampa Bay, logging about 250 snaps per year. He played the most in 2020, 440 snaps in all, working with Tom Brady and winning the Super Bowl. That season, he caught 33 passes for 501 yards and three touchdowns.
His following two seasons were largely anonymous, Miller signing in 2023 with the Atlanta Falcons in free agency. There Miller played one season under his new offensive coordinator, Arthur Smith, Atlanta’s head coach at the time.
He did not play a big role there, however, logging 267 offensive snaps. He finished the season with just 11 catches on 16 targets for 161 yards, though with two touchdowns. Interestingly, he did not record a rushing attempt for the first time in his career, even though it seems like something that would interest Smith.
Miller joins a deepening yet unremarkable Steelers wide receiver corps. Behind George Pickens, the rest of the pieces are largely interchangeable since trading Diontae Johnson. The only other carryover player from the 2023 season is Calvin Austin III, who has little production thus far.
The Steelers also added minor veterans Van Jefferson and Quez Watkins during free agency. The trio of them are likely battling for the fourth and fifth roster spots at this point, and no more. With Pickens, third-round pick Roman Wilson, and presumably Austin, who also returns punts, the outside veterans are indistinguishable pieces.
As the season progresses, Steelers players’ stocks rise and fall. The nature of the evaluation differs with the time of year, with in-season considerations being more often short-term. Considerations in the offseason often have broader implications, particularly when players lose their jobs, or the team signs someone. This time of year is full of transactions, whether minor or major.
A bad game, a new contract, an injury, a promotion—any number of things affect a player’s value. Think of it as a stock on the market, based on speculation. You’ll feel better about a player after a good game, or worse after a bad one. Some stock updates are minor, while others are likely to be quite drastic, so bear in mind the degree. I’ll do my best to explain the nature of that in the reasoning section of each column.
