Buy Or Sell: The Steelers have enough wide receiver depth for Arthur Smith’s offensive scheme.
Explanation: The Steelers lost three wide receivers from last season, retaining two. But they also signed two veteran free agents and drafted a rookie in the third round. While only George Pickens calls for defensive coordinators to game plan for him, Pittsburgh’s offense doesn’t revolve around hero-ball receiver play. They’re clearly establishing a running identity and have other skill positions to utilize in the passing game.
Buy:
The Steelers for the past decade or so have been an 11-personnel team. If the Steelers intended to keep doing the same thing, then no, their current wide receiver depth is not adequate. But this team will not be doing the same thing over and over again. They don’t have the same personnel, let alone the same offensive coordinator.
Pittsburgh was a pass-first-and-second offense when it had a Hall of Fame quarterback and wide receiver. They don’t have Ben Roethlisberger and Antonio Brown anymore, though. What they do have is a group of physical offensive linemen and running backs who make defenders hurt.
You have your star wide receiver in George Pickens, and the rest is complementary. With the supporting cast of TE Pat Freiermuth, TE Darnell Washington, RB Najee Harris, and RB Jaylen Warren, they don’t need much else. But they have guys who can contribute from veteran Van Jefferson to rookie third-round pick Roman Wilson.
Sell:
Any offense that thinks it can get by with shallow wide receiver depth eventually finds out it’s wrong. Even the run-first teams eventually hit a wall, either due to attrition or simply playoff-level competition. The Steelers right now don’t have a playoff-level wide receiving corps. And the absence of a significant threat opposite George Pickens is going to limit his effectiveness.
As will the mediocrity under center. You can get by with less at wide receiver if you have a great quarterback, but the Steelers don’t have one. They have late-stage Russell Wilson and 10-28 Justin Fields. The offensive line improvements will benefit the offense, sure, but when the Steelers need to pass, they lack the firepower. They won’t survive competition against an elite passing offense with what they currently have, plain and simple.
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).
