The Pittsburgh Steelers may not have a wide receiver group that scares you like some of the elite combinations of the Cincinnati Bengals, Philadelphia Eagles or Miami Dolphins, but with a move to get Allen Robinson from the Los Angeles Rams, the organization took one step closer. Steven Nelson patrolled the outside on defense for three most solid seasons and he thinks this deal is an absolute win for the organization.
Pittsburgh Steelers
Former Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback Steven Nelson (22) trains at Heinz Field during the Steelers 2020 Training Camp, Tuesday, Aug. 11, 2020, in Pittsburgh, PA. (Karl Roser / Pittsburgh Steelers)
Nelson, now a member of the Houston Texans, would've had plenty of first-hand experience against Diontae Johnson in practice as they both started in Pittsburgh in 2019, and he's played against Robinson a few times during his time in the league, but he can only judge George Pickens on what he's seen on tape. From what he has seen and what Nelson's experienced, he's issuing a warning to any teams playing the Steelers in 2023.
Tay Johnson , Pickens , Robinson ? Yeah nope they not on yo schedule better have some hittas at db
— Steve Nelson (@Nelson_Island) April 18, 2023
Jordan Schofield / SteelerNation (Twitter JSKO_PHOTO)
Calvin Austin III during Steelers OTA's in 2022.
While the Steelers are hoping to find ways to use Calvin Austin III in 2023 after he missed all of 2022 with a foot injury, to rely on him as the third receiver in a quasi-rookie year really didn't make sense. So, General Manager Omar Khan made the move to bring in a veteran guy who instantly becomes Pittsburgh's most experienced guy in the receiver room.
Trade Is A Big Win For The Steelers
Jim Rogash/Getty Images
Allen Robinson emerged on the scene with the Jacksonville Jaguars before a few solid seasons in Chicago.
There are certainly questions about what Robinson can be after two down seasons where he struggled with injury in LA and with the Chicago Bears. The Steelers are not giving up much. So, betting that he can find some of that 2015 magic when he tied for the league lead in touchdowns, with Blake Bortles as his quarterback, is a very nice piece of business for Khan and his staff to fill a need before the draft at the end of April.
Acquiring Allen Robinson is a no-risk move for the Steelers. A swap of seventh-round picks and if they don't like what they see, they can cut him at no cost on their cap. However, if they like what they see, they get a cheap, veteran receiver.
— Dale Lolley (@dlolley_pgh) April 18, 2023
Mike T wins again
— Steve Nelson (@Nelson_Island) April 18, 2023
Pickens is expected to take a leap next year and could even be the defacto number one receiver in year two. While Johnson struggled last season, he should be able to at least produce a solid number two option. Finally, there's the mix of Robinson, Austin and Anthony Miller. It now seems unlikely the team adds a receiver in the draft now but adding a veteran after not getting one in free agency was a necessity. Robinson may not be the player he once was but the Steelers aren't asking for that and they certainly aren't paying him for that with how much the Rams took on to get rid of him.
The Steelers are looking for quarterback Kenny Pickett to take a big step in year two and giving him a solid third option in Robinson on the cheap sure seems like a good step to do that.
Do you see this as a win like Nelson does? Let us know in the comments below!
#SteelerNation
