Pittsburgh Steelers WR Calvin Austin III had his position coach declare him the No. 2, but what does that mean in June? For all we know, the team could add a significant wide receiver via trade or free agency by training camp. In fact, even though Mark Kaboly believes Austin is in good position, he also believes they need to add somebody.
“I think Calvin Austin right now, he’s the leader in the clubhouse. What’s he got, pole position? Pole position”, he said on 93.7 The Fan. Pole position is, of course, the term HC Mike Tomlin used to describe QB Russell Wilson’s status last year. Understandably, fans and reporters have turned it into a joke, as pole position means nothing when there is no race.
But Kaboly was not saying, of course, that there is no race for the No. 2 WR. Zach Azzanni might call Austin a starter now, but we don’t know what the end of training camp looks like. We don’t know who else might emerge, and who else might join the roster.
Although he has spoken highly of WR Roman Wilson, Kaboly doesn’t believe he is in better position. “I think you have a better chance of Calvin Austin having a great training camp”, he said, than Wilson. And even then, he insisted, “I still think you have to add. I think they’re still looking for somebody”.
The Steelers have reportedly kicked the tires on some tight ends, and they did host WR Gabe Davis for a visit. The latter is still recovering from injury, so perhaps they plan to circle back later in the offseason. The idea of Calvin Austin being a starter in this Steelers offense does concern people—at least on the outside.
Then again, you can’t always believe what comes out of the mouths of Steelers coaches. Last year, whenever they had a decent passing game, one coach or another would offer some variation of “I told you so” because Van Jefferson actually caught a pass. Then they traded for Mike Williams. Granted, they barely played him, while Austin had a solid season.
As a third-year player but in his second on the 53, Calvin Austin actually had a career year. On 58 targets, he caught 36 passes for 548 yards with four touchdowns. While four touchdowns doesn’t sound like a lot, it was more than George Pickens had in this offense last year.
More than most teams, the Steelers manage to operate behind the scenes. We don’t hear as many leaks about their plans as we might from many other teams, at least until afterward. I’ve learned enough to know not to take the claim that Calvin Austin is their No. 2 at face value, though. He may be right now, but they are certainly looking at other options, on and off the roster. Even if Aaron Rodgers is impressed with his brief glimpse of the diminutive wideout.
