Buy Or Sell: WR Odell Beckham Jr. is the most plausible “explosive playmaker” of rumor for the Steelers in free agency.
Explanation: By virtue of the fact that they acknowledge conversations are taking place, the Steelers are still trying to upgrade their wide receiver room. Increasingly, it seems likely that a trade for a top talent is not going to happen. The veteran wide receiver market is also largely unimpressive. Arguably the most “explosive” option is a healthy Odell Beckham Jr., with an emphasis on healthy.
Buy:
You don’t have to like it, but let’s be honest. Of the names that are available out there, Odell Beckham Jr. is the player the media is most likely to describe as an “explosive playmaker”. He hasn’t made a ton of plays lately and his explosiveness isn’t what it once was. But he still caught 35 passes for 565 yards and three touchdowns last season while playing with Lamar Jackson through injuries.
Injuries and role incongruities limited Beckham’s opportunities in Baltimore last year. He only saw five or more targets in five games. In those five games, he totaled 21 catches for 352 yards and two touchdowns. Multiply that by three and you have 63 catches for 1,056 yards and six touchdowns. That’s even giving Beckham two games to deal with injuries.
Sell:
First of all, the “explosive playmaker” for the Steelers doesn’t exist. They’re not signing, trading for, stealing, or manufacturing an explosive playmaker. And they’re not signing Odell Beckham Jr., not after last season’s tumult with disgruntled wide receivers.
Yes, the Steelers need another wide receiver, but they’re not throwing the ball 600 times this year. They’re still a run-first offense and George Pickens is going to get 120-plus targets. Pat Freiermuth is likely to see a career year in targets as well. And Beckham blocking? No.
He may have matured over the years, but you still have your concerns about Beckham. You don’t want to put that personality in a room with Pickens, especially when the targets aren’t flowing. He doesn’t need anybody to teach him now to not throw a block for your running back.
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).
