Buy Or Sell: The Steelers should sign WR Martavis Bryant.
Explanation: Recently released, Martavis Bryant is back on the market, and the Steelers are scouring the bargain bins for wide receivers. They’ve already signed Van Jefferson, Quez Watkins, and just yesterday Scotty Miller. All of these players are receiving Veteran Salary Benefit deals with little or nothing to lose. Signing Bryant likely costs the Steelers next to nothing, even if he’s a far cry from the player he once was.
Buy:
As with a growing number before him, Martavis Bryant was once the anointed “next great Steelers wide receiver”. To his credit, he was pretty great for a short period of time. It’s hard to say how great he might have been had he not run into trouble.
Everybody knows signing Martavis Bryant now is not signing the guy who came out on fire in 2014. They’re not getting the guy the Raiders thought they traded for a few years after that, either. But let’s look at the Steelers’ current situation practically.
Put simply, the Steelers are just tossing darts, and Bryant is just another dart. Now, he’s not the wide receiver he was a decade ago, but you’re not paying for that wide receiver, either. Most likely you can sign him without even giving him a signing bonus, so why not try at this point?
Sell:
You don’t try another go-around with Martavis Bryant in 2024 because it’s simply a waste of time. To say that he’s not the wide receiver he once was is an understatement. This is a guy who couldn’t even produce in the CFL and other ephemeral leagues.
By signing Bryant now, you’re not only wasting a roster spot, you’re causing an unnecessary distraction. The only team that could sign him and make it a big story is the Steelers, and they don’t need that. They’re already trying to figure out if they have anybody worth keeping among other teams’ castoffs.
The reason Bryant keeps losing jobs is not because of any kind of drug problems at this point. He’s not holding a job because he’s not qualified for the jobs he’s pursuing. Let’s not let nostalgia get the better of us. Plaxico Burress was a much more sensible signing in 2012 than this.
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).
