We’re coming on nearly a week since the Pittsburgh Steelers’ first selection in the 2024 NFL Draft. They only found a wide receiver on the following day, drafting Roman Wilson in the third round. Leading up to the draft, they drew heavy speculation as a prime candidate to trade for an established starter. That never happened, and at this point Mike Florio no longer expects it to.
“Look, if it was gonna be one of the 49ers—really, if it was gonna be anybody, you’d do it last week if you’re the team that’s moving the guy”, he told Andrew Fillipponi and Chris Mueller on 93.7 The Fan. “Why would you be trading him now? Because unless you’re getting a player in return, you’re not getting anything to help you now. You would think, common sense, the window closes, not opens, with the ending of the draft”.
What he means is teams trading talent now can’t acquire any draft picks that can aid them in 2024. Obviously, teams occasionally are willing to trade for future picks, but we rarely see that the month after a draft. If the San Francisco 49ers were to trade Brandon Aiyuk to the Steelers, for example, they wouldn’t see any return for a year and a half.
“They had been interested in Brandon Aiyuk; obviously, that didn’t materialize, and then it switched to Deebo Samuel”, Florio acknowledged. “I have no idea. And I’ve been waiting. It hasn’t happened yet. If it’s gonna happen, it hasn’t happened yet, so let’s see what it’s gonna be”.
Former Pittsburgh Steelers CB Bryant McFadden stoked the fires in recent days with a viral tweet. He claimed that the team was close to landing an “explosive playmaker”, a description that best fits a wide receiver. General manager Omar Khan spilled a bucket of water on that rumor.
It’s worth noting that the 49ers used their first-round pick on WR Ricky Pearsall and added another in the fourth round. The Denver Broncos, hosting Courtland Sutton, also drafted two wide receivers, including fourth-rounder Troy Franklin. While the draft is over, both teams invested in their wide receiver room.
If the Steelers do add to their wide receiver room, it doesn’t necessarily have to be a trade acquisition. McFadden also never claimed that the Steelers were on the verge of making a trade. Not that there are a ton of obvious starters sitting out there on the open market, but teams also release players.
“When I first saw it, I thought, ‘Well, maybe they’re gonna sign [Odell Beckham Jr.]”, Florio said of the McFadden tweet. “That would be the thing that makes sense after the draft. Free agents who are out there find a home once teams address or don’t address their perceived or actual needs”.
The Jacksonville Jaguars already released WR Zay Jones, and there will be other significant names to add. The Steelers are unlikely to stand pat at the wide receiver position for the remainder of the offseason. At some point, they will find a way to strengthen the room, even if it is not the “explosive playmaker” they could only add via trade.
