The Pittsburgh Steelers are a few days removed from trading Antonio Brown to the Oakland Raiders, arguably the best wide receiver in the game today and the team has their work cut out for them in regards to replacing him. The team likely realizes they simply can not replace Brown, but they are likely doing everything they can to add some talent at the position ahead of the 2019 season. In addition to the departure of Brown, wide receivers Justin Hunter, Eli Rogers, and Darrius Heyward-Bey are all free agents this offseason. This leaves the team with JuJu Smith-Schuster, Ryan Switzer, and James Washington as the team's sole receivers so it's clear the needs a bit more help in regards to the position.
There are a few free agent wide receivers the team could make a play for this offseason, but this is by far one of the more underwhelming groups of free agent receivers we've seen in a while. Pittsburgh will need to do their best in making aggressive moves for the remaining players they believe can make an impact next season. Here are a few pass catchers that could be playing in black and gold this upcoming season.
Tyrell Williams
It's likely Williams has played his last season in a Chargers jersey, but he could be in line for a nice payday from a team in need of a pass catcher. Unfortunately for Pittsburgh, they need to address the receiver position more than ever. Williams is presumably at the top of any team's list in regards to filling a need at the receiver position so the Steelers will need to act quickly.
Williams has one 1,000 yard season under his belt back in 2016, but a season-ending injury to Keenan Allen was a clear contributor to Williams success. Unfortunately for Williams, once Allen came back to full health and the team drafted Mike Williams in 2017 his production took a major dip. Now is Williams' chance to showcase his talents in a setting where he could be exponentially more involved. The Steelers could be a perfect fit for Williams and he could be line for plenty of targets with the team's heavy pass attack. The 26 year old receiver is coming off three successful seasons in which he did not miss a single game so it's worth watching if the Steelers will extend an offer his way.
Golden Tate
The biggest name in the wide receiver free agent group is undoubtedly Golden Tate, but are the Steelers willing to give him the money he desires entering the 2019 season? Tate reportedly wants around 13 million per year and for a 31-year old receiver, of course, it seems high. Tate is not exactly a top-five or even a top-10 receiver, truthfully he never has been, but he does offer a lot of reliability and a veteran presence the team could definitely use. The veteran receiver was fantastic in the few years he spent with the Detroit Lions in their pass heavy offense, so the Steelers could get this version of Tate if a deal is made.
While Tate didn't fit in too well with the Philadelphia Eagles, the Steelers could be a perfect fit for him. Since 2013 Tate has not missed a single game so obviously his training and conditioning are clearly still up to par at this stage in his career. Tate could be the best fit for the team, but his asking price may be a bit too high for the Steelers at this time.
Randall Cobb
Cobb may not exactly be the first name many think of this offseason regarding the position, but his skill set is still something that should not be overlooked. Cobb is a reliable receiver and if it weren't for the emergence of the Green Bay Packers' younger receivers, he could still be a very relevant pass catcher in the league. Cobb, 28, still presumably has plenty of years left in the tank and could fit into the Steelers offensive schemes effectively.
Cobb had to play as the third option for the Packers prior to this season as Davante Adams and Jordy Nelson were Aaron Rodgers go-to receivers. Unfortunately the team drafted two more receivers in the 2018 draft that made a splash with the Packers offense and Cobb's injury woes this past season didn't do him any favors. As he heads into his ninth season, Cobb could use a much needed change of scenery to rejuvenate his career going forward. The Steelers could snag Cobb at a presumably much cheaper cost over Williams and Tate so it'll be interesting to see how Pittsburgh plays this offseason.
