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Pittsburgh Steelers: Three bold predictions for the 2017 season

By Noah Strackbein

Jan 15, 2017; Kansas City, MO, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers running back Le'Veon Bell (26) runs against Kansas City Chiefs cornerback Marcus Peters (22) during the first half in the AFC Divisional playoff game at Arrowhead Stadium. The Steelers won 18-16. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 15, 2017; Kansas City, MO, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers running back Le'Veon Bell (26) runs against Kansas City Chiefs cornerback Marcus Peters (22) during the first half in the AFC Divisional playoff game at Arrowhead Stadium. The Steelers won 18-16. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-USA TODAY Sports /
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The Steelers will have three 1,000 yard receivers

Pittsburgh now has one of the best receiving cores in the NFL. Antonio Brown, Martavis Bryant and Eli Rogers alone is one of the top trios, but add JuJu Smith-Schuster and Sammie Coates and they arguably have the top group in the league.

Antonio Brown is a guaranteed 1,000-yard receiver. He hasn’t missed the mark in four years, so it’s hard to doubt he won’t surpass it again. Actually, with the talent around him, he may be able to exploit defenses enough to be the league’s best wideout.

Martavis Bryant probably would’ve eclipsed the mark for the first time in his career last season, but after missing the year because of a suspension, he’ll return looking to get right back where he left off.

As one of the best deep-threat players on this team, Bryant is going to get a lot of looks down field. Ben Roethlisberger loves to go long, meaning Bryant will have plenty of opportunities for big yardage. Honestly, he and Brown could be two top five receivers this season.

Must Read: 5 breakout candidates for the Steelers in 2017

The third one isn’t a receiver. Le’Veon Bell is just as much of a threat in the passing game as he is on the ground. Finishing 2016 with 616 yards receiving in only 12 games and while rushing 261 times, Bell is easily someone who can turn 2017 into a 1,000/1,000 season.

With James Conner joining the backfield, Bell should see a decrease in rushes. That’s fine as long as he continues to see the field just as much as he did in 2016, but in the receiving game as well. What he loses in rushing attempts he should gain in receiving reps. If he plays enough downs from the outside, he’ll easily finish with 1,000 yards receiving and 1,000 yards rushing.

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