DK Metcalf wanted a trade and got his wish. But wait until he sees the Pittsburgh Steelers’ quarterback depth chart.
Waiting to make moves to help the offense until you have the quarterback in place isn’t always prudent. Opportunities can present themselves randomly, and the Steelers had a chance to get a very good receiver in Metcalf from a Seattle Seahawks team that suddenly wants to tear things down after going 10-7. Pittsburgh went ahead and made one of the more polarizing trades of the offseason, which hasn’t even officially started yet. The Steelers have been chasing that WR1 for a while, so they weren’t going to wait.
However, there’s a big hole left in Pittsburgh. Russell Wilson and Justin Fields are free agents. While the Steelers presumably have a plan at quarterback, there’s no obvious available option that would push them into Super Bowl contender status.
Metcalf is a fun player and it’s not like the Steelers didn’t need someone to go alongside George Pickens. But it wasn’t cheap, Metcalf and Pickens might not be the best fit together and, well, the Steelers still have that one remaining problem.
How much does DK Metcalf help?
Metcalf cost the Steelers a lot. They sent a second-round draft pick to the Seahawks. They also reportedly agreed to sign Metcalf to a startling five-year, $150 million deal.
We’ve seen teams hit on second-round receivers the past few years, as there’s more depth at the position than ever. That $150 million puts a dent into how many resources the Steelers have to throw at whatever quarterback option they think is best. Maybe it was a good use of resources to trade for Metcalf, but it can be debated.
Metcalf is a fantastic physical talent, with at least 900 yards in all six of his NFL seasons and a great playmaking ability. He’s great on deep passes. The problem might be that he can look across the formation and see Pickens, who has practically the same skills. They’re fairly redundant, perhaps a case of adding talent without having a great idea how the players fit together. Having two deep threats at receiver isn’t bad if you have a quarterback to complete those passes, and that’s where it becomes a problem for the Steelers.
It’s also worth noting that Pickens and Metcalf have something else in common, and it’s that their sideline demeanor isn’t exactly the easiest to manage. Bless the quarterback who is going to have to deal with those egos talking to him in each ear.
Whoever that quarterback will be.
Steelers still have needs
Any analysis of moves that were made this week — and there seemed to be a million of them, making the actual free agency period seem very watered down before it even started — has to be consumed with context. The Steelers’ overall plan will be seen soon, and perhaps when it’s all revealed the Metcalf trade will make a lot more sense.
But at this point it looks like adding a Ferrari to the garage when there’s nobody who can drive the car. Will the Steelers be Aaron Rodgers’ landing spot? Can they try to make Daniel Jones a reclamation project? Will Wilson return after fading hard late last season? Does bringing back Fields make sense after they didn’t love him and started Wilson over him most of last season? Can they do the salary cap gymnastics required to land Sam Darnold? Maybe there’s a mystery door to be opened.
We’ll find out soon. There’s nothing wrong with being aggressive to get a good player, and Metcalf is just 27 years old. He has plenty of prime years left. His deal, at $30 million per season, isn’t that bad for a receiver at his level. Pittsburgh certainly had a need, especially considering how hard it is to trust Pickens.
It’s just that as of now, the pieces of the Steelers’ puzzle look fine but it’s hard to see how they will all fit together.
