DK Metcalf

Austin until Roman gets up to speed.

 

More room for Harris’ replacement to run

 

Thought crossed my mind

 

I can understand that sentiment, but it really puts us in the same position we were in before the Metcalf trade. He's a really good player and cost controlled for a year with the ability for a second year with a franchise tag. No need to open a hole we just fixed for now. This is a contract year for Pickens. If he can't keep it mostly together, then he won't be getting paid like he wants to. He has someone on the other side of him to help take the constant doubles off of him. He just needs to keep his nose clean a bit and produce to maximize his earning potential. I think he should be able to handle it well enough. If he doesn't, then he isn't getting anyone to bite on that long term/big money contract.

I also don't think it 100% means he won't get paid here. It depends on the QB situation of course, but we'd likely be able to afford it if we really wanted to. Not a bad way to start a young QB with two high end WR's on long term deals. Idk. Lots in front of us before we make those decisions.

SIDE NOTE - Might be worth giving Pickens the jersey #1 as a sign of faith in him and his future. Would be a small token to keep him as happy as possible. Gets DK the #14 he would likely want as well. Just a thought that likely means nothing in the big picture.

 

Austin and Austin. Hopefully Wilson starts to fight with Austin for those targets earlier rather than later.

 

Or drafted Wr!

 

One move and all of a sudden, we have a top wr unit.....
Can't double teams DK without leaving Pickens alone and vice versa... Austin and Roman Wilson will be that much more dangerous at 3 and 4, and Van Jefferson would easily be the best 5 in the league, not to mention the TE's moving the chains......
Now if only we had a stud under Center to get the ball to them

 

Jefferson wouldn't be on the roster in this instance. I'd rather just draft a mid or late round guy to develop and stick Skowronek out there as a core ST and end of the roster back up. Jefferson not being a top 4 option or a ST player pretty much solidifies that he wont be back next year.

 

I doubt they will draft one now. They have Metcalf, Pickens, Austin, Wilson and a few other options for the fifth or sixth spot. They have too many other needs to spend another pick on a receiver this year.

 

Do you really think Steelers are going to put out another large contact
next year for GP? Cut your losses and move on. Shop him while the Coles are hot.

 

Probably Franchise foe one more Year

 

I doubt they are trading him now unless they have a move for another receiver in place.

 

counting to 4 isnt as easy as they say it is

 

They don't have to count on him as anything more than their No. 4 receiver. They could use Jefferson or Skowronek in that role. If they take one on day one or two, that might be a sign that Pickens is gone after the 2025 season.

 

Cowherd just ripped the Steelers/Metcalf deal and he has some good points. The O line is still a mess... so adding an expensive WR doesn't really help much, especially if Pickens is traded. QB is a big question mark... but I'm not as concerned with QB as much as the O line and D line. QB is kinda moot until the '26 draft... doesn't matter who we get, it's gonna be a 9 win ceiling in 2025, even if we get good play from QB.

 

It would be ridiculous if an OC can't make it work with these 2 WR. Only Arthur Smith could be that guy.

 

I'm not suggesting picking top 10 consistently does work. But what the Steelers are doing now isn't working. They haven't been competitive in the past five playoff games.

Maybe taking two steps back in order to take a step forward is the way to go. Even picking top ten once might be enough to get them into the SB conversation.

The conference is loaded with elite QB's. The division has two elite QB's.

 

Those 2 elite QB's have won 2 playoff games between them the last two seasons combined... The Lions don't have an elite QB and they were the favorites to win the NFC. Hurts is kinda borderline elite, and he just won it all. Stroud is a nice young player, but not elite yet and he has 2 playoff wins in 2 years. Not to mention that Mayfield, and Brock Purdy have also won playoff games over the course of the past two seasons.... You don't need an elite guy to win playoff games. It just isn't the case. You need someone that is capable of playing really well and a good roster around him. The AFC is loaded with elite QB play but only one of them can win anything in the post season (Mahomes).

And yes, while picking top 10 once and getting it right, lucky, or both could get us right back in contention window. It also could lead to a half decade or more of misery. The percentage chance is much higher that we stay down there than it is we get lucky enough to be there once and be right back in it. Ben was that, and we really cant count on that happening again. There's a reason why teams that draft in the top 10 tend to stay there for a while. They eventually get out, but that's a varying level of success too. It doesn't always lead to SB contention.

 

Point to ponder. What if GP and Metcalf develope a healthy competition like a Swan/ Stallworth situation? I realize it's alot to ask. Sure would be nice though.

 

They drafted Pickett with one good year out of five. Same mindset?

 

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