Buy Or Sell: A wide receiver who is not currently on the roster will start for the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2024.
Explanation: While the Steelers used a third-round pick on Roman Wilson, many still question if they’ve done enough at wide receiver. Indeed, many argue that they still need a WR2 to complement George Pickens. Outside of Wilson, their current options are Calvin Austin III, Van Jefferson, and Quez Watkins.
Buy:
Just reading off the list of names above tells you that this has to be true. The Steelers simply do not have a number two receiver on the roster right now, so they have to get one. I don’t know how they plan to do it, but they’ll add somebody. General manager Omar Khan acknowledges they’re keeping their options open and having conversations.
At this point, we’re probably not talking about Brandon Aiyuk or Courtland Sutton. I’m sure there are other wide receivers out there whom they can discuss about acquiring. Who had Donte Jackson on their radar at cornerback, other than the Steelers, before trading for him?
Frankly, at this point, I can see a player like Hunter Renfrow coming in off the street and starting. That might say more about the current state of the Steelers’ wide receiver room than it does about Renfrow, but nevertheless, there’s an option. If Tyler Boyd’s market bottoms out, that’s another one, even if not an overly desirable one for non-Pitt fans.
Sell:
The Steelers may hope to add a starting wide receiver, but that doesn’t mean they’ll successfully do so. The reality is that their options are dwindling. Even D.J. Chark is now off the boards, and we’re left talking about guys like Zay Jones and Mecole Hardman.
Besides, under Arthur Smith as offensive coordinator, they won’t be playing out of as many 11 personnel splits. They probably feel like they can get by, if they need to, with what they have, including Roman Wilson. The Steelers, I have a feeling, like Van Jefferson more than people realize, as well.
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).
