The Pittsburgh Steelers remain on the lookout for an upgrade to their receiver room in the dead of summer. Expect General Manager Omar Khan to locate a possible upgrade either on the trade front, via free agency, or on the waiver wire. Pittsburgh has some internal options to replace George Pickens, but none are proven commodities.
If Roman Wilson and Calvin Austin III fail to earn a significant role on offense, expect Khan to pluck someone away from their current employer.
There are several rosters full of talent at the receiver position that would make sense for the Steelers to target. The Houston Texans have plenty of talent at the position heading into the preseason process. They will let someone go who will be good enough as an upgrade to push some players on Pittsburgh's depth chart. Of those options, John Metchie III is the most intriguing.
Houston has eight viable receivers on their expanded roster fighting to make it past final cuts. It would be wise for the Texans to hold onto as many of those players as possible, but they might have no other choice but to let some of them go. Expect the Steelers to sniff around this situation in hopes of snagging an upgrade to the position. If a trade doesn't happen, a move like this would make sense.
Pittsburgh Steelers could target John Metchie III to help their receiver room
Unless the Steelers find an adequate trade partner to land their upgrade at the receiver spot, going this route makes sense. Metchie could be out of a job when the final roster cuts get announced, and Pittsburgh would be wise to add him to the depth chart. If the young playmaker makes the Texans team, one of his failed teammates could be another target for Khan to pursue.
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The Texans' final roster spots regarding the receiver position will come down to Metchie, Christian Kirk, Xavier Hutchinson, Justin Watson, and Braxton Berrios. Each of those players will find a job this season, but it's unknown if that will be in Houston. Metchie has an uphill battle to climb if he wants to beat out the competition. His chances of sticking in Texas are slim heading into training camp.
Pittsburgh would be wise to add Metchie if he hits the waiver wire. He is still a young weapon who might benefit from a new environment. He will be 25 years old on July 18, and he has a draft pedigree, which Mike Tomlin adores. Khan adding this option to the roster might not solve their issues at the receiver position, but it would infuse another young target for Aaron Rodgers.
Metchie possesses a great deal of talent, but he has struggled to establish himself as a playmaker in the NFL. The Alabama product has faced one setback after another. Battling a cancer diagnosis and scarce opportunities, his time in Houston has been difficult. Although the Steelers showed little pre-draft interest in the former second-round pick, they could still reconsider him.