Steelers Have New Surprising Trade Candidate After Cryptic "Free 3" Post

The Pittsburgh Steelers have seemingly failed to acquire a quality receiver to start alongside George Pickens. None of the players that the team has brought in have performed well. The organization has also been very unsuccessful on the trade block, as the top trade options now seem to be Mike Williams and Darius Slayton, both of whom do not seem to be good enough to take over as a full-time starter. Omar Khan and his staff have a lot of work to do if they want to find a capable wideout, but an opportunity may have just revealed itself. 

Jordan Addison, the former first-round pick of the Minnesota Vikings, made a post on Instagram that implies that he wants to be on a new team. 

Typically, when a player says he wants to be "free," it means that he want to be traded away. As of now, Addison has not commented on the subject, but if everything is as it seems, he may wind up on a new team before the trade deadline concludes. If that's the case, teams will most likely be lining up to make their bids for the young receiver. 

The Steelers should be at the forefront of these negotiations for many reasons. The first and most obvious reason is, as mentioned, they haven't found their replacement for Diontae Johnson. If Addison is truly available via trade, he would easily be the best option for Pittsburgh currently. They have let so many receivers slip through the cracks. They can't let it happen again.

Addison even fits the Johnson-style of receiver. He creates separation with his expert route running skill. The Steelers lack a receiver that can get open like that. They have Pickens, who is more of a jump-ball kind of player; they have Calvin Austin IIi, who has blazing speed; they also have Van Jefferson, who seems more like an Allen Robinson II-type receiver: a pure blocker that gets starts due to a severe lack of depth.

The Steelers have already done a lot of scouting on Addison. He spent a lot of time playing in Heinz Field / Acrisure Stadium during his time with the Pittsburgh Panthers. He made all kinds of magic there before transferring to play for the USC Trojans and being a reliable target for Caleb Williams, who was seen as a potential generational talent.

The Steelers even drafted Addison's former quarterback from Pitt. While Kenny Pickett may no longer be on the team, they probably still have plenty of tape of him connecting with Addison from the 2022 draft process. While it's unfortunate that the Steelers won't be able to reunite the dynamic duo, they likely know exactly what they are getting if they acquire Addison. 

Steelers Can Give Addison What He Truly Desires

Throughout the 2024 season so far, Addison only has 14 receptions on 23 targets, including two catches in a loss to the Los Angeles Rams on Thursday Night Football. Despite being drafted in the first round, he has not been utilized much in the offense. Of course, you shouldn't expect to be the top receiver when Justin Jefferson is on your team, but it's still fair to want to catch more passes than a typical fourth-stringer. 

The Steelers have no reliable weapons outside of Pickens, especially in the receiver core. Pat Freiermuth and Najee Harris are second and third in terms of total receptions on the team behind their top receiver, with Austin coming in fourth with 11 receptions in seven games. There is no doubt that Addison will see an uptick in targets and receptions on a team that is in dire need of a guy like him.

What do you think about Addison's cryptic post, as well as the potential of him being traded? Let us know in the comments.

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