5 receivers Steelers should sign if Washington is traded

With the Steelers receiving room suddenly in question, here are five receivers the team could target for their depth chart.

It came as a minor surprise when James Washington requested a trade last week. While a good player, he is stuck behind a talented depth chart which has limited his playing time. Add in the fact that this is a contract year for the former second-round pick and another year seeing limited time with the Steelers wouldn’t have been ideal. The report has been disputed, but it wouldn’t be shocking to see the team move the talented young receiver anyway. Assuming Washington is out the door, here are five receivers that could replace him on the Steelers roster.

Steelers in-house options

Before delving into the available free agents, the Steelers would likely start their search for a roster replacement on their current roster. The player that offers the most translatable skillset to Washington is Isaiah McKoy, as his calling card is his deep playability. That said, the team doesn’t have to find another deep threat per se.

Juju Smith-Schuster wants to play more on the outside, meaning the team could opt for more of a slot receiver to give him more flexibility there. Anthony Johnson stands out as a player that saw considerable playing time in the Hall of Fame game and has been in the Steelers camp for a while. Tyler Simmons and Rico Bussey are other names that aren’t conventional deep threats but could contribute some in the slot. All that said, if Washington was to be traded, none of these players should be counted on right now to replace him.