As the wide receiver market continues to move rather quickly in the NFL ahead of the Nov. 5 trade deadline, the Pittsburgh Steelers remain in search of an answer to a year-long question at the position behind George Pickens.
According to Sportskeeda NFL insider Tony Pauline, the Steelers are eyeing three specific wide receivers ahead of the trade deadline, that being the Denver Broncos’ Courtland Sutton, the New York Giants’ Darius Slayton, and the New York Jets’ Mike Williams, all names that have been tied to them at one point or another in the last few months.
“I’ve twice mentioned the Pittsburgh Steelers as a team in the market to trade for a wide receiver, as they were one of the franchise keying on Davante Adams before the former Raiders wideout was moved to the New York Jets. Now, sources have attached the names of three receivers they will look to trade for. They include Darius Slayton of the New York Giants, Mike Williams of the New York Jets, and Courtland Sutton of the Denver Broncos,” Pauline writes for Sportskeeda. “I am told the Steelers have a lot of interest in the Broncos wideout, but it is a matter of meeting Denver’s asking price, which I’m told is high.”
Sutton is a name that Pauline mentioned earlier in the week, listing the Steelers as one of three teams that are in on him, giving the Broncos a “50-50 chance” of moving the big receiver ahead of the trade deadline.
With Russell Wilson the starting quarterback in Pittsburgh, there’s a familiarity there with Sutton, whom he spent two seasons within Denver and threw 10 touchdown passes to last season.
However, the Broncos sit at 5-3 on the season and are starting to play well, which would make for a curious decision to trade their top receiver.
Just last week, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reported that the Steelers were showing “continued” interest in Williams after the Jets traded for Davante Adams and Williams had a hand in a Monday Night Football loss to the Buffalo Bills, running the wrong route on an Aaron Rodgers interception late in the game.
The Steelers’ interest in Williams isn’t a surprise considering they showed interest in him during the offseason when he was a free agent. Williams was supposed to visit the Steelers in March but signed with the Jets before that visit happened, leaving the Steelers to continue searching at the position on the open market.
Then, there’s Slayton, who doesn’t turn 28 years old until January and is in the final year of his contract. He is a big-play threat who showed out on Monday night, hauling in four receptions for 108 yards in the Giants’ 26-18 loss to the Steelers.
NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo reported Tuesday that the Giants would need to be “blown away” by a trade offer to move the pending free agent.
In eight games this season, Slayton has 29 receptions for 420 yards and one touchdown. Against the Steelers on Monday night, Slayton had receptions for 43, 36, 11 and 18 yards, all of which went for first downs.
It’s very clear the Steelers need to add an experienced receiver to the room to give the offense a boost with Wilson at the helm. Though Wilson has played well and helped elevate the likes of Van Jefferson and Calvin Austin III, along with the hope of rookie receiver Roman Wilson returning down the stretch and having an impact offensively, the Steelers need to add a playmaker. They have options.
