At this point, the Pittsburgh Steelers’ offseason has two major themes. One is the need for a starting wide receiver opposite George Pickens. The other is the emphasis on reclamation projects, mostly at the quarterback position with Russell Wilson and Justin Fields. Could the Steelers combine those two themes by trading for Tennessee Titans WR Treylon Burks?
“The Steelers love reclamation projects,” Ray Fittipaldo of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette said on Friday’s episode of the Joe Starkey Show on 93.7 The Fan. “That seems to be kind of a pet project for Mike Tomlin over the years. A lot of times, those guys don’t work out, but it wouldn’t surprise me at all if the Steelers took a flyer on a guy like that. I wouldn’t give up much for him… You’re probably talking about giving up a sixth or a seventh-round pick. I mean, if that’s the price, why not? I mean, you’re collecting guys of that ilk anyway. Why not see if a former first-round pick can benefit from a change of scenery?”
So far, Treylon Burks has been a disappointment for the Titans. Tennessee picked him 18th overall in the 2022 NFL Draft but he hasn’t lived up to the billing. He’s appeared in 22 games and caught 49 passes for 665 yards and 1 touchdown. He has a nice yards-per-catch average of 13.6 but has not carved out a role expected of a first-round pick.
As Fittipaldo says, a change of scenery might be good for Burks. He was much better in college at the University of Arkansas. He played three seasons for the Razorbacks and caught 146 passes for 2,399 yards and 18 touchdowns. He capped off his college career with career-highs in catches with 66, yards with 1,104 and touchdowns with 11. He did average over 16 yards per catch in all three seasons.
Coming out of college, Burks was billed as a physical wide receiver, both at the catch point and blocking. He certainly has the size to be a force on the field at 6-2 and 225 pounds. If Tomlin and offensive coordinator Arthur Smith could unlock that mentality again, he would fit right in with Smith’s offense. He’s not a burner, posting a 40-yard dash of 4.55 seconds at the NFL Combine, but he certainly showed a capability for explosive plays in college.
If the Steelers were able to secure Burks for a late-round pick, that’s one reclamation project that could pay dividends. The opportunity theoretically exists, thanks to the Titans signing both Calvin Ridley and Tyler Boyd this offseason. However, head coach Bill Callahan has been adamant that Burks is still in his plans, and neither signing is about Burks.
That could be the truth or it could be a bargaining ploy. Regardless, the idea from the Steelers’ perspective makes a lot of sense.
