The trade deadline came and passed, and the Steelers were active in trying to secure some pieces to make a serious playoff push. They grabbed a new receiver in Mike Williams while also adding Preston Smith to fill out the depth at edge rusher. Both players should play a role down the stretch, and likewise, it will come at the cost of other players' opportunities.
The path for Smith is clear. He should fit in as the veteran pass rusher presence while Nick Herbig gets healthy. Jeremiah Moon has been ineffective on defense, so Smith boosts the group immediately. Once Herbig is healthy, the Steelers get a strong quartet of edge rushers to mix in on defense just like they had last year.
Williams presents a more challenging player to navigate a role. Receiver is the biggest need on the roster, but the new addition comes at a cost. While Williams will play outside and dig into Van Jefferson’s snaps, he really damages Calvin Austin long-term in this offense.
Calvin Austin will be limited with the Steelers
Austin will retain his role in the slot, but that is part of the issue. Though he has proven to be a fine slot receiver, Austin has also thrived on deep routes where his speed can be shown off. That isn’t to say that every snap needs to be on the outside, but he looks good there when given the opportunity.
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Williams is a physical vertical threat, and while George Pickens can play in the slot, that will never be his primary role. While different body types, there are a lot of similarities between Williams and Pickens. Austin provides a unique skill set that would have made him more of an asset on the outside.
His snap share isn’t safe either. The team likes Jefferson as a blocker, and while he isn’t a slot option, he will still see outside snaps. This will further take away from Austin’s shots on the outside. This limits how he can win and forces him into a role that he is still growing into.
Austin was having a strong season considering what many expected his role to be. The addition of Willians harms his case though, and he could now be stuck playing just in the slot as opposed to getting snaps on the outside. He may not lose his direct role, but he will likely still see his opportunities shrink as a result of this move.