If the Steelers believe this season is not over, they need to replace Juju Smith-Schuster. Here are two trades that could help them stay in contention before the trade deadline.
Recently, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reported that JuJu Smith-Schuster did indeed suffer a serious shoulder injury in Week 5 against the Denver Broncos and that he already had surgery. Sadly, this serious injury not only lands him on IR for the foreseeable future, but Rapoport also confirms that it will end his 2021 season.
On Monday evening, ESPN’s Aditi Kinkhabwala said that the Steelers could plan to sign former Bears and Texans wide receiver, Anthony Miller — barring a physical. If this falls through, however, here are two receivers Pittsburgh should look to trade for:
N’Keal Harry, New England Patriots
It is clear that N’Keal Harry and the New England Patriots are not a good fit anymore. Harry could benefit on a new team and I think the Pittsburgh Steelers would be the right choice now that Juju Smith-Schuster is out for the season.
Harry has only been targeted 3 times in two games since coming back from a shoulder injury with New England. He has 2 catches for 19 yards. Harry stands at 6’4” and weighs 225lbs and comes from Arizona State. The former 1st-round pick clearly does not want to stay in New England and this could give Ben Roethlisberger another big weapon in the air.
Harry is still a very young player. He is only 23 years old and I believe he could have an impact on this team if traded here. In his career with the Patriots, he has played in just 23 games and started 14 of them. He has been targeted 84 times and caught just 47 passes for 309 yards with just 4 touchdowns.
I do not believe it would take much to get Harry from the Patriots. I think a 2022 7th-round pick or maybe even a 2023 6th could get the job done. This trade seems like a benefit for both teams as well as the player being dealt.
Jamison Crowder, New York Jets
The New York Jets are one of the worst teams in the league this year and may be looking for into the future with adding more draft picks. I believe the Pittsburgh Steelers should think about trading for Jamison Crowder.
Crowder has only played 2 games this far because of Covid related issues. In those games, however, he has been targeted a total of 15 times catching 11 of them. He has 85 yards on the season with 1 touchdown. This could be the type of veteran wide receiver Ben Roethlisberger could benefit from if traded to Pittsburgh.
JAMISON CROWDER TD AND IT'S A TIE GAME❗
— Jets Videos (@snyjets) October 3, 2021
(Via @NFL)pic.twitter.com/IA6G0rWA5j
Jamison Crowder can play all over the field. He can play out wide or in the slot. He stands at 5’9” and weighs 177lbs and is only 28 years of age. In his career, Crowder has been a reliable wideout. In 86 games, he has 368 catches for 4245 yards and 27 touchdowns. He averages 11.5 yards a catch.
I believe the Steelers could trade a 2023 5th round pick to get Crowder. If the Steelers truly think this season could have playoff implications, then they need to make a trade like this. Jamison Crowder would be a perfect fit.