The Pittsburgh Steelers have a ‘two dogs, one bone’ situation when it comes to the slot receiver position in 2019. Could they use both players?
The Steelers are going to have a decision to make when it comes to the wide receiver position in 2019: Do they keep Ryan Switzer, Eli Rogers, or both?
Switzer and Rogers have both served sizable roles as the Steelers slot receiver in the past. Eli Rogers was a former undrafted free agent who spent two years as the primary slot option in Pittsburgh.
Switzer, on the other hand, was acquired via trade with the Raiders last August in exchange for a 5th and 6th round pick swap.
While it’s entirely possible that the Steelers could keep both shifty slot receivers for the 2019 season, is it necessary?
Both Switzer and Rogers perform the same role on the offense. With just 53 roster spots to go around, using one on a backup slot receiver may not be the best use of depth. Pittsburgh could always use an extra gunner on special teams, and neither Switzer or Rogers would fit the bill.
JuJu Smith Schuster also does some of his best work in the slot, and the Steelers are expected to move him round often this season.
Eli Rogers was incredibly efficient back in 2016. He averaged 12.4 yards per catch from the slot and caught 72.7 percent of balls thrown his direction. However, his production dropped drastically in his 2nd season – decreasing his yards per catch down to 8.3 and catching just 50 percent of his targets.
Switzer never had a season as good as Rogers’ 2016 campaign, but was solid in his own right. He averaged just 7.0 yards per catch with the Steelers last season, but also caught nearly 82 percent of passes thrown his way. Switzer, however, did much of his damage in the return game – averaging 8.4 yards per punt return and 20.2 yards per kick return.
The wide receiver could be hurting without Antonio Brown, and I think it’s likely that Switzer and Rogers could both end up in Steelers uniforms when it’s all said and done. I just don’t know if it’s necessary.