Can the Steelers Offense Handle Another Mouth to Feed?
Credit: Steven Bisig-USA TODAY Sports
It has been a quiet few weeks in Pittsburgh, with few headlines indicating team activity jumping off the page. As things ramp up into training camp, anticipation is building around the current roster and who will ascend in Latrobe. But despite the recent radio silence from the Steelers’ front office, some changes may still come.
Omar Khan has earned the nickname “The Khan Artist” thanks to the off-season signings, contract restructures, and trades he’s made over the past two seasons. Like a lion, he lurks and stalks his prey, then pounces when it’s least expected. This is why many Steelers fans expressed their dismay when June 1st came and went and DK Metcalf was not on the Pittsburgh roster. Similarly, fans have gone on a ride with hopes for Brandon Aiyuk to wear the Black and Gold this season.
With the news of Aiyuk official request for a trade, and DK Metcalf training with Russell Wilson, Scotty Miller, and Quez Watkins, the hype is starting to build again. It would be on-brand for Khan to wait and let things play out with both receivers before making a move to acquire one, but it’s also not certain Khan will bring a high-level wide receiver to slot in as a No. 1 or 1A. It’s not certain Khan even wants to.
It is beyond doubt that the addition of Aiyuk or Metcalf to Pittsburgh would immediately improve the position and the roster. However, it’s unclear whether or not it would be best for the team overall.
The Steelers skill position players in Pittsburgh are well-rounded, save for the Wide receiver position. Some find it worrisome. If this were last year under Matt Canada, that worry would be warranted. But with Arthur Smith leading the offense, it’s much less so.
In a recent episode of his “Scout’s Eye” podcast, Matt Williamson of DK Pittsburgh Sports highlighted the differences between the Steelers’ 2023 offense and the Falcons’ 2023 offense.
Firstly, Smith has a history of running a large personnel group. Last season, his Falcons led the league in plays with two tight ends on the field and ran the fewest plays with three wide receivers on the field.
Additionally, the tight ends in Atlanta led the league in receiving yards as a combined group. Smith also likes to utilize multiple running backs on the field at the same time. Moreover, he just really likes running the ball. For those who don’t know, Smith was the offensive coordinator for the Titans when Derrick Henry rushed for 2,000 yards. He also was heavily involved in creating the monster that is AJ Brown. Brown developed into a singular wide receiver talent, standing out even with Julio Jones on the roster.
What Smith likes to do, and does well, is run the ball and utilize play action to throw the ball down the field. His quarterback still has an elite deep ball and is well-suited to move through play action.
With such an emphasis on tight end and the running game, how does another top wide receiver fit into the equation? George Pickens has the talent to step into a true No. 1 option. He also has had some maturity problems over the past two seasons, particularly when he doesn’t receive the targets he wants.
Fans can expect the offense to ride both Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren at a far above-average rate. In fact, there are rumblings of hope that both running backs could eclipse 1,000 yards rushing in 2024. There is also an obvious reason to anticipate much, much more of Pat Freiermuth in the passing game. Add everything up, and it leaves a significantly smaller chunk for the wide receivers than in past offenses.
This could pose obvious problems, especially if Aiyuk is acquired in a rental-type deal. This would leave Smith with two players with a propensity to air out their laundry publicly, both of whom playing for major contract extensions in the near future. Metcalf has played with talented receivers like Tyler Lockett, but Lockett is viewed as the consummate professional who likely balanced well with DK. It’s not obvious that Pickens and he (or Aiyuk) would find a similar rhythm if the target share became lopsided.
This is not to say Smith couldn’t handle or use an additional talented wide receiver, but it is also an acknowledgment that what the Steelers have on hand may be enough to get them over the hump. There will be talks of potential signings right up until the trade deadline, but for now, maybe it’s safe to put your faith in the Steelers’ roster and their staff. It has to be better than last year, right?
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