Approximately a year ago, the Pittsburgh Steelers announced that they had acquired DK Metcalf from the Seahawks in exchange for a second-round pick and a late-round pick swap. The trade gave fans hope that the receiver woes for the team were finally over.
Looking back on the deal now, it feels like the Steelers may have lost this trade.
While the talent is surely there, it feels like the overall fit was lackluster in the first year. Given everything that the Steelers had to give up to get Metcalf, the feeling is even worse.
Of course, there is still time to make things right, but given the outlook of the Steelers right now, making the move for Metcalf may not have been the slam dunk that everyone hoped it would be.
The Pittsburgh Steelers trade for DK Metcalf feels lopsided
While Metcalf has, at times, felt like a top receiver in the NFL, his first year with the Steelers left fans wanting more.
In 15 games, Metcalf posted a muted 850 yards receiving to go along with six touchdowns. It was his worst season as a professional.
While not entirely his fault, it seemed like the Steelers didn’t get the right type of receiver to use in the offense that they wanted to run. A classic burner, the vertical passing game wasn’t effective with an elderly Aaron Rodgers at the helm. This meant Metcalf had to do more with less.
While he did take the occasional short pass the distance, far too often he felt like the Steelers were forcing him into a role that he wasn’t naturally meant for. Add in some inconsistencies and drops (staples of his game previously), and overall, you have an underwhelming season.
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That could certainly get better, but when you add in the other semantics this deal feels even worse.
In addition to trading for him, the Steelers turned around and made him one of the highest-paid receivers in the league. That certainly feels like an overpay right now.
He hasn't fixed the receiver issues either. This team is widely expected to aggressively pursue multiple receivers in the draft and in free agency this year. Metcalf hasn't fixed the room like a top-paid player should.
In response to getting Metcalf, the Steelers traded George Pickens away. While I maintain the opinion that Pickens wouldn’t have had the breakout season he enjoyed in Dallas had he been stuck in Pittsburgh, I think he could have exceeded Metcalf’s production.
Now, Pickens is set to get his new contract, and the Steelers are only reminded that they couldn’t make things work with him.
All of this doesn’t even take into account the altercation Metcalf had with a fan. We don’t know the minute details, but throwing punches at a fan is a horrible look.
Then you have the actual compensation. The Steelers second round pick was used to trade up for safety Nick Emmanwori. He went on to earn second place for defensive rookie of the year. Given the need for safety, a player of his caliber would have been huge.
All of this to say, Metcalf has a lot to prove in year two. He needs to show that he can be a true alpha for this offense and keep his head on straight. If not, justifying the contract and cost to acquire him gets that much harder.
Unfortunately, it feels like this season will be much of the same. Assuming Rodgers returns, the passing game will rely on short and quick passes. Even if an additional receiver takes some pressure off, Metcalf still feels mismanaged.
In short, this deal doesn't look nearly as good as it did a year ago. Unfortunately, I don’t see a clear avenue for this to be fixed, either.