Player: WR Roman Wilson
Stock Value: Up
Reasoning: Not only did rookie WR Roman Wilson avoid a stint on the Reserve/Injured List, he seems to be making progress. He has not practiced since the first practice in pads, during which he injured his ankle. But he began ramping up his activity yesterday and could potentially begin practicing soon. At this stage, we can’t rule out his being available for the opener.
Unless the Steelers suddenly land Brandon Aiyuk, they are going to need some help at wide receiver. George Pickens is a fine player with immense upside, and I’ve settled into Van Jefferson. But if Roman Wilson isn’t healthy, then we’re dealing with Calvin Austin III and Scotty Miller as your depth chart.
Both Miller and Austin flashed on this or that day during camp, but neither seem to make an ideal third wide receiver. Roman Wilson is the player on this roster who is best equipped to do that from a talent perspective. The only problem is that he is currently the least equipped from a health perspective. The other guys are healthy, whereas he is not.
Wilson injured his ankle on the first day in pads during training camp, missing the entire preseason. Some feared that he might start the season on the Reserve/Injured List, but he avoided that fate. He appears to be making progress, nearing a return to practice, but we still must see what comes of that.
Getting Wilson back into the swing of things at practice would be a great development. Even if he manages to get healthy by the opener, however, that doesn’t guarantee he will play. It’s not easy for a rookie who misses nearly all of training camp to suddenly play in early September.
But guys who make it to the NFL usually have done what they do all their lives. Wilson knows how to run around, he knows how to catch, and he even knows how to block. Plus, the Steelers only have five wide receivers, so they could dress all of them. Even if Wilson is very limited at first, he has a good chance of playing if he just gets back to practice. Fortunately, it sounds like he is getting close.
As the season progresses, Steelers players’ stocks rise and fall. The nature of the evaluation differs with the time of year, with in-season considerations being more often short-term. Considerations in the offseason often have broader implications, particularly when players lose their jobs, or the team signs someone. This time of year is full of transactions, whether minor or major.
A bad game, a new contract, an injury, a promotion—any number of things affect a player’s value. Think of it as a stock on the market, based on speculation. You’ll feel better about a player after a good game, or worse after a bad one. Some stock updates are minor, while others are likely to be quite drastic, so bear in mind the degree. I’ll do my best to explain the nature of that in the reasoning section of each column.
