Rumors continue to surround the Steelers about them adding a wide receiver to their roster. They might need to wait a while longer if they refuse to add talent now. Time will only tell how the likes of Van Jefferson, Calvin Austin III, and Roman Wilson fair. If none of those players step up, then the Steelers could get desperate with outside options.
If they can find a way to stay afloat with their current roster, they could add a receiver before the trade deadline according to Jeremy Fowler. He claimed the team could target someone like Courtland Sutton if the Broncos fall off before the deadline and the Steelers remain in contention. That could lead to a nice upgrade on the trade front, but the current issue would remain.
Behind George Pickens, the black and gold have some unproven and less-than-stellar veteran options. They went aggressively after Brandon Aiyuk only for that to fail. There are some names out in free agency who could still make sense for Pittsburgh if they get desperate enough. One new option has just opened up after a recent cut by the Browns.
Former Browns receiver could be a nice pickup for the Steelers
Cleveland had a strong receiving core heading into the preseason process. They had to make some tough decisions there, but they just made a surprise cut. David Bell was just let go by the Browns. The shocking move comes after the former third-round pick of the 2022 NFL Draft struggled to take steps in his development. An injury during training camp did him no favors.
Many factors were working against Bell this season. The Browns added both Jerry Jeudy and Jamari Thrash this past offseason to try and bolster their receiving room. Some were a bit surprised when Bell made the initial 53-man roster, but it is uncommon for a team to give up on such a high draft pick only two years into his professional career.
This could be a nice pickup for the Steelers without them needing to give up anything in a trade. Bell has some experience, but he hasn't played any significant starting snaps in the NFL yet. Perhaps a change of scenery would do him some good. Normally, a potential pickup like this would need to have significant pre-draft interest in a player for Pittsburgh to pick them up.
Bell might not have had a pre-draft visit with the Steelers, but the team's spent most of that draft focused on the quarterback position. This might not be an outlandish idea after all. The black and gold spent most of their visits that draft season on quarterbacks. Mike Tomlin loves to get former top picks in the draft and see if he can unlock another part of their game.
He might not be a clear upgrade over Scotty Miller or Van Jefferson right now, but he could become one. He is a young receiver who got limited opportunities on a team full of talent at the wide receiver position. The Steelers need youth at receiver and guys who could have the potential to grow into that starting role to help the team now. Bell could be that guy.