The Pittsburgh Steelers' rival Baltimore Ravens made a stunning move on Wednesday when they signed former Packers cornerback Jaire Alexander to a one-year deal. Recently released by Green Bay, Alexander reunites with his former college teammate, Lamar Jackson, who is rumored to have played a major role in bringing him to Baltimore.
The Packers decided to part ways with Alexander after ongoing issues and his lack of availability, having missed most of the past two seasons due to injuries. Still, when healthy, Alexander is considered one of the best cornerbacks in the NFL.
With this signing, the Ravens' secondary just became even more dangerous. A defensive backfield that includes Kyle Hamilton, rookie safety Malaki Starks, Nate Wiggins, Marlon Humphrey, and now Jaire Alexander will be a nightmare for any offense. For the Steelers, whose offense already had a major need, this move makes the road through the division even tougher.
Rodgers needs a legit No. 2 WR if Pittsburgh Steelers want to keep pace with Ravens
The Steelers' wide receiver group was a disaster last year after they failed multiple times during the offseason to find a reliable complement to George Pickens following the trade of Diontae Johnson. Pittsburgh tried to fix the problem by trading for Mike Williams at the trade deadline, but that move ended up being ineffective as he rarely saw the field.
Now, with DK Metcalf joining the Steelers and George Pickens now a Dallas Cowboy, the team finds itself in much the same situation as last year. However, Calvin Austin showed significant improvement last season, and Roman Wilson is returning after missing his rookie year.
On paper, the receiver group looks a little better, but on any other team, those players would be considered the third or fourth options on their offenses.
Read More: NFL Insider says what Steelers fans already knew about George Pickens
The Steelers cannot keep cycling through receivers again. They need a true number two receiver if they want to compete seriously with Aaron Rodgers at quarterback. It never hurts to have plenty of weapons in today’s NFL, but no offense to Austin or Wilson—they do not yet fit the mold of a legitimate number two option.
With a division rival strengthening its secondary, this current receiver group will once again struggle against Baltimore’s defense. This offense needs all the firepower it can get and if an injury happens to DK Metcalf like the one that sidelined Pickens last season, this offense would be in serious trouble again.
The Steelers must learn from last year’s mistakes and explore every avenue to acquire another reliable pass catcher. It is time for Pittsburgh to make a move to counter the signing made by their biggest rival. Doing whatever it takes to get past Baltimore is crucial, as they remain the biggest obstacle to the Steelers pursuit of winning the AFC North.