On the eve of free agency, the Pittsburgh Steelers have made the biggest move of the NFL’s offseason, trading for Seattle Seahawks WR DK Metcalf. And the reactions are already pouring in, including our own. But top NFL Network analyst Brian Baldinger thinks Pittsburgh handedly won the deal.
“Steelers Fleeced Seattle,” Baldinger tweeted Sunday night.
Officially, the Steelers are sending the Seahawks a second round pick while the two sides are flipping sixth and seventh round selections. Pittsburgh is also giving Metcalf a massive five-year, $150 million deal to be a long-term fixture in the Steelers’ offense.
While it’s a heavy price to pay, Metcalf was the top receiver on the market. The cost to sign him also drove down the cost to acquire him. Reportedly, Seattle initially wanted first and third-round selections for Metcalf though most saw through the smokescreen, the Seahawks posturing and starting the ask high. In the end, they received what seemed most realistic, a second-round pick.
Still, after trading QB Geno Smith and Metcalf along with cutting WR Tyler Lockett, it’s an offense that’s starting over. And it’s not a great draft class to land a top-flight replacement. How Seattle ultimately replaces Metcalf is how the team should be judged on the deal, though that’s for Seahawks Depot to determine. Not us.
Pittsburgh will need to effectively use Metcalf in order to truly win this deal. Offensive coordinator Arthur Smith has struggled to feed playmakers of Metcalf’s caliber the football. But then-Tennessee Titans WR AJ Brown found success in two years under Smith in 2019 and 2020, going over 1,000-yards in both seasons while recording 19 total touchdowns. The Steelers still figure to run the ball plenty, finishing 2024 fourth in attempts, so they’ll need to be efficient in giving Metcalf and Pickens the football.
Fortunately, they’re two talented players to get the ball to and don’t need to be perfectly schemed up to win, either. Assuming Pickens remains a Steeler – an open question going forward – the offense will have a pair of supreme downfield threats while Metcalf is a YAC maven thanks to his unique frame and athleticism.
It’s a big swing for a Pittsburgh team who has trouble closing wide receiver deals. They land this year’s top target in Metcalf. It’s a jolt to a stagnant offense, and franchise, that badly needed one.
