The Pittsburgh Steelers have 1,361 offensive snaps to make up for at the wide receiver position from just two players. That is the total number of snaps Diontae Johnson and Allen Robinson II played last year combined. The Steelers released the latter as a salary cap casualty, while they traded the other away for a cornerback.
While it’s clear that they intend to address the position in a significant way, the Steelers have also looked to free agents to find reinforcements. According to Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, that is likely all they have planned for.
Both Quez Watkins and Van Jefferson signed Veteran Salary Benefit one-year contracts for the minimum amount. Dulac said in a recent chat session that “they have their vet” wide receivers already, referring to these two. He added that assuming they draft a receiver high, “I think that will be the end”.
Things could have gone differently, however, at least in theory. They signed Jefferson very early in free agency, but they had different plans in between. “They’ve already signed two” veterans, Dulac pointed out, “though not the one they would’ve liked — Mike Williams”.
Williams is a former 2017 first-round pick by the Los Angeles Chargers. They released him earlier this offseason, a slight surprise addition to the receiver pool. The Steelers planned to bring him in for a visit, but he signed with the New York Jets before the meeting.
Still, especially in hindsight, one has to question how serious their interest was and how far it might have gone. Williams signed just a one-year deal, but one worth up to $15 million. The Steelers have never paid that much for an outside free agent, and certainly not on a one-year deal.
Recall that by then the Steelers already spent big money on ILB Patrick Queen. His three-year, $41 million contract already constituted by far the largest deal they’ve ever given out to an outside player. It’s the first deal that ever reached an eight-figure salary per year.
The Steelers were more likely doing their due diligence and hoping that Williams might come relatively cheap. Perhaps they could catch him in a tough spot and get him to agree to some “prove-it” deal. I don’t think they expected to see his market reach $15 million. Injuries became a serious problem after he signed a three-year, $60 million extension in 2022, limited to just three games in 2023.
And so the Steelers moved on and landed Quez Watkins. And now they have George Pickens, Calvin Austin III, Jefferson, Watkins and the also-rans. Denzel Mims and Marquez Calloway have something of an NFL resume, but there’s a reason both spent 2023 on the practice squad.
No, this is likely it, minus a high draft pick, even if they don’t have a clear number two in this group. I don’t know that they even have a clear number three, but that’s less important in Arthur Smith’s system. But rest assured, a lot will fall on a rookie’s shoulders this year. They don’t really have an alternative at this point.
