The Steelers season is officially over, and with the offseason now the focus of this team, I wanted to take some time to break down this team position by position. This will be both a primer for who will stay or go in the offseason as well as who could be added. This series will go position by position as we head toward the new league year.
We continue with the pass catchers this time, and despite a wealth of options here, the passing game was putrid last year. A lot of that had to do with the bad quarterback play as well as a poor scheme under Matt Canada. That said, here is a breakdown of the receivers and tight ends and what we can expect from the groups in the offseason.
Steelers pass catcher room assessment
The pass catchers are a group of good names on paper that didn’t perform up to that level this season (for the aforementioned reasons above). George Pickens was the highlight of the group and played in every game this season. He saw his yards, receptions, and touchdowns all improve in addition to his yards after the catch.
That said his overall season was still a bit of a disappointment. Expectations were sky-high for him after another strong offseason, but he had quite a few stretches where he was phased out of the game. At times, this caused some immaturity to come out in response.
Diontae Johnson struggled with an early season injury but came back and produced. He found the endzone five times, shaking the proverbial 2022 monkey off his back, and was his usual self with sharp routes. Like Pickens, his stats were a bit of a letdown overall.
Arguably the biggest disappointment was Pat Freiermuth. While the third-year tight end was injured for a good chunk of the year, the Steelers aversion to the middle of the field was killer to his stats. For a player likely wanting an extension, his down year couldn’t have come at a worse time.
Calvin Austin never lived up to his hype either, but he provided the occasional spark and big play. Allen Robinson was as advertised, a bulky slot weapon with little upside besides possession catches. Darnell Washington was lumbering and a non-factor in the passing game. Arguably the next best weapon outside of the top three targets (and Jaylen Warren, who was second on the team in catches) was Connor Heyward.
Steelers in-house pass-catching options
Let's start off with an easy one here, the tight end room is set heading into the offseason. Sure, some camp bodies will circle around to the team, but the core four here are all quality options. Freiermuth and Washington will continue to serve as the primary options while Heyward will be the unique flex option. Rodney Williams is a good fourth option with special teams ability.
The only question comes down to Freirmuth getting a new contract. At the beginning of this season, I was sure he would land a top tight-end deal this year, but that isn’t as likely considering his past season. If I were to guess, he plays out his rookie deal and gets tagged next season unless the team is willing to look past this season when giving him a new deal.
The receiver room is murkier. The only pending free agent is Miles Boykin, and I’m assuming the team will be happy to offer him another minimum deal if he wants it. He is a fine special teams player and a decent blocker on offense when called upon.
Allen Robinson was a good veteran presence, but his lack of production and heavy contract make him a prime cut candidate. The only way I think he stays is if he is willing to reduce his contract down to the minimum. That said, I’m assuming he plays elsewhere next year.
With Austin not proving much this season, I really think you need to nail down a competent slot receiver while also adding talent to the depth chart on the outside. The team did sign Denzel Mims and Marquez Callaway to reserve deals. Mims is your classic height-weight speed threat while Callaway is a bigger slot option. That said, I wouldn’t bank on either becoming a core contributor.
Steelers free agent pass-catching options
Let’s start with the softball again. While there are a few intriguing tight end options entering free agency, the Steelers don’t need to sign anyone to more than a minimum deal. The tight-end market is normally an inflated one, but if an option like Drew Sample, Charlie Woerner, or Tyler Kroft were willing to sign for the minimum to compete for a spot, I’m all for it.
Receiver is a different story. While the Steelers traditionally draft their receivers and have them work their way into the offense, a capable veteran slot receiver makes a lot of sense. That gives the team another veteran presence and allows them to focus their early draft capital on other needs.
My favorite slot option has to be Tyler Boyd. A local product out of Pitt, he has become a cornerstone of the Bengals offense. Even when his role was reduced due to the emergence of Tee Higgins and Ja’Mar Chase, he was still steadily eddy as a target. Given his age and slot-specific nature, his contract won’t likely break the bank either.
Another name that should be linked to the Steelers is Cedrick Wilson. Son of the former Steelers receiver, he had a hot start to his career as a slot receiver in Dallas before struggling with the Dolphins. He would be a cheaper option but still have experience.
You can also add any number of lower-level free agents in the slot like Jamison Crowder, Isaiah McKenzie, or Richie James. These guys wouldn’t be anything more than depth options though, and I would still consider a slot receiver a need.
In terms of outside receivers, I wouldn’t actively seek one out assuming Boykin returns. He is a great fit as a depth receiver given his special teams ability, and if the team wants to fill out that depth chart later on, a late draft pick should do the trick.
Steelers pass catcher options in the draft
This is a relatively weak tight-end class outside of Brock Bowers. That shouldn’t negatively impact the Steelers though, as the only rookie tight ends the team should invite to camp are pending undrafted free agents.
After a down year for the receiver class, the 2024 class seems to be back to being deep. The top of the class is full of potentially elite talent, the middle rounds have potential starters, and the latter position has viable depth pieces.
If the Steelers don’t have a viable slot receiver on the roster before the draft, I don’t think you can exclude this team from drafting one in the first round. If the value is right and there is that need, I would pounce. That said, the majority of early-round targets seem better suited for the outside.
Day two could present a real opportunity for this team to add some receiver talent. From the speed freaks to the sharp route runners, there is something for everyone. On the outside, a freak like Johnny Wilson could be a unique weapon. Standing at 6’7 but has great athleticism and run-after-the-catch ability, he would be a unique weapon, to say the least.
This deep of a class will naturally allow for some talented names to fall to day three as well. It seems as though any round could potentially be a target for a receiver. At the very least, be ready for the team to draft a receiver at some point as they take advantage of this deep class.
What I would do at pass catcher for Steelers
One of these positions should see a minor overhaul this offseason, the other is pretty set in stone. For tight ends, I would look to add a veteran on the cheap for competition, but other than that some undrafted free agents can fill out the room.
For receiver, I am cutting Robinson and trying to add a capable slot receiver in free agency. If I can land Boyd on a reasonable deal, he will be my primary target. If not, I’d like Wilson in that role. I feel like either would provide a great compliment to this offense and give whoever the quarterback is another target.
In the draft, I’m keeping my options open. With a slot receiver set, I’d like to add someone with some size and speed, which this draft seems filled with. My ideal range would be the third or fourth round, where you can still get a potential starter due to the depth of this class.
This would mean the tight end room remains mostly unchanged and you keep your top two receivers. A veteran slot is brought in, Austin retains his role as an occasional deep threat, and Boykin sticks around as a special teams player. The rookie provides depth and insurance to round out the room. I think receiver could be a real strength for the team if they attack it right this season.