The Pittsburgh Steelers had their best offensive showing of the season in their 37-15 win over the New York Jets in Week 7 with Russell Wilson under center. While the Steelers got some production from their complementary receivers, team insider Mark Kaboly thinks the team still needs to upgrade the room.
“If you’re Omar Khan, you have to go look and find somebody,” Kaboly said Monday on On The Pat McAfee Show “If it’s Mike Williams, if it’s anybody else near the trade deadline, coming up in about 15 days or so, you have to upgrade it somehow. You can’t base it off of one game.”
Kaboly said earlier today that Wilson may have made some of the receivers look better than they are, but really it wasn’t as if anyone was super impressive or consistent. Calvin Austin III has been Pittsburgh’s best non-George Pickens wideout this year, and he had a 36-yard grab while Van Jefferson had two catches for 15 yards and a touchdown. Wilson only completed 16 passes, but no receiver outside of Pickens really seemed to do enough to make the Steelers feel comfortable with their room even though it wasn’t a liability.
With Mike Williams potentially available, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see the Steelers move to get something done there, especially given that he was supposed to visit Pittsburgh this offseason before he signed with the Jets. The fact that the Steelers had prior interest and are reportedly continuing to pursue Williams now makes him the most likely player the team could acquire. DeAndre Hopkins also remains a possibility if the Titans opt to move him, but there’s no real link connecting Hopkins to Pittsburgh as there is with Williams.
While the Steelers may not be able to make a super exciting addition, Williams would still be an upgrade to their room and could help take some pressure off Pickens. He had one catch against the Steelers last night on two targets, gaining 15 yards, and he only has 11 receptions on the season. But he’d likely be used more in Pittsburgh and with more volume, he can be productive, especially with Russell Wilson’s deep ball looking pretty good last night. That could also open things up for TE Pat Freiermuth, who had two grabs for 51 yards last night, and adding another reliable receiver to the room elevates the ceiling for everyone.
While Austin and Jefferson have been fine in their roles, neither is a legitimate No. 2 option, although Austin has been solid in the slot. Making a move to get another guy to play outside feels likely, and it could be crucial for the Steelers as they look to make some noise in the AFC.
