Steelers GM Omar Khan Wants To Get Away From Preposterous WR Behavior And Will Draft Accordingly

The Pittsburgh Steelers have frequently chosen receivers in the NFL Draft over the last few years and have tried to develop a mainstay at the position. However, many of these receivers have not made it to second contracts in the Steel City. The Steelers looked to remedy that problem last year when they traded for an established player in DK Metcalf. Newly acquired Michael Pittman Jr. will join Metcalf to round out the top two receivers in the room. Both players have been known for a positive locker-room presence. 

Pittsburgh has had its fair share of receivers with attitude issues going back to the most famous case(s) with Antonio Brown, and more recently with George Pickens. These players gave the Steelers a ton of great production, but their attitudes were an issue for the Steelers' morale at times. Brown and Pickens were both traded by Pittsburgh and are just examples of the issues the team has had with the attitudes of this position group, in general. 

Steelers beat reporter Christopher Carter spoke on the North Shore Drive podcast recently about how Steelers General Manager Omar Khan has built this room to have a better attitude. 

"Think about what they've done over the last few years and what Omar Khan has done. They got rid of [Chase] Claypool, [Diontae] Johnson, Pickens, all these guys that are out there and not really helping the culture of the locker room," said Carter. "[Khan] brings in Metcalf, who is a, 'Yes, sir,' [type of person], and he brings in Pittman, who is also a high character guy. So you have two guys who bring positivity to the locker room. So you bring in a first-round guy who can ascend those guys, but he would do that under their tutelage."

The Steelers bringing in players who are able to create positivity in the locker room is a culture switch that Pittsburgh desperately needed. Steelers receivers had been known for their negative attitudes in recent years and it has created drama and unnecessary distractions. The roster needs to be drama free in order to be the best they can be. 

The Steelers have been linked to many receivers in the first round, and it all depends on how the dominoes fall. While trading for these receivers has made fans speculate their decision not to go with a receiver in the first round one, the same point can be made with any young pass catcher the Steelers decide to pick. A group of veterans with good character will uplift a group that has needed a true leader for a long time. This is clearly deliberate by Khan as he is trying to rectify past mistakes in drafting receivers with attitude issues. 

Pittman and Metcalf should prove to be effective not just on the field, but in this capacity as the team looks to add youth at several key positions as it prepares for the future. The team was the oldest in the NFL last season, and a youth movement could be coming with the Steelers owning 12 draft picks. The strong leadership of the receiver room will only encourage future Steelers draft picks to reach their potential. 

Steelers Could Still Go Receiver Round 1, Even After Pittman Trade

The Steelers' receiver room is still thin, even after the big acquisition for Pittman, and it's not getting any younger. Outside of the two aforementioned receivers, the Steelers only have an inexperienced player in Roman Wilson and a primary specialist in Ben Skowronek.  This year's draft is considered loaded at the position and it wouldn't be a bad thing to add as many weapons as possible for whoever quarterbacks the team. 

The Steelers are preparing their weapons for the future and have Pittman and Metcalf under contract for the next handful of seasons. A wide receiver of high-quality in this draft would be a smart choice, as the Steelers are still unsure of who will be under center this year. 

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