Steelers Top 5 WR Trade Options
PITTSBURGH -- The Pittsburgh Steelers have not kept it a secret that they are looking for a wide receiver trade. With the trade deadline almost here, they're open to any and all options, but there are a few that top the list.
As they approach the final moments to strike a deal and bulk their offense, Pittsburgh has options to look at. Not all of them are on this list, but the top five seem like the only ones who make an impact worthy of a trade. Some, much more than others.
5. Mike Williams
Mike Williams doesn't move the needle too much for the Steelers, but it's another name who can contribute. Pittsburgh doesn't have many of those right now, and with Roman Wilson being on Injured Reserve, it feels like this team could use a fifth receiver. Even if Williams comes in and is another hand that contributes as much as Van Jefferson does, he's added help for Russell Wilson, and another name who has big-play potential that you never know when it could be handy to have.
4. Adam Thielen
Thielen is a proven veteran in this league and would come to Pittsburgh as another reliable set of hands for Wilson and company. He instantly takes pressure off of George Pickens, and adds another element to the receiving game that the offense can lean on. If teams are shutting down Pickens, Thielen could finish a game with 10-plus receptions and it would be a normal afternoon for the Steelers.
He's the first player on this list that moves the needle, and has been on teams who have contender in the playoffs. What he'd bring to the Steelers would be way more than a 34-year-old wideout from the worst team in the league.
3. Darius Slayton
The Giants are trying to make it known that the price tag for Slayton is high, but it makes no sense to go into the rest of the season with a 2-7 record and refuse to sell your most notable asset. If teams like the Steelers are calling, New York should be listening.
Slayton bring another young playmaker to Pittsburgh's offense and adds another splashy name alongside Pickens. With Jefferson and Austin on the field as well, Pittsburgh's offense is full of chunk play wideouts, and Wilson is a chunk play quarterback. It feels like it would make for an exciting passing attack.
After putting up 100 yards against the Steelers just a week ago, Slayton has to be on Pittsburgh's radar. He's not the top name on this list, but he's certainly one that makes this offense more exciting as they look to compete in the playoffs.
2. Courtland Sutton
Here's where the list turns from exciting to game-changing. Courtland Sutton would come to Pittsburgh after catching 10 touchdowns from Wilson last season and bring an instant No. 2 wideout to the roster. Working next to Pickens, he's an instant deep threat who can also be a big body underneath. A complete wide receiver, Sutton makes all the sense in the world for the Steelers.
Getting him seemed unrealistic at times, but with the Broncos getting blown out by the Ravens in Week 9, it feels like they may be willing to part ways with players in order to prepare for the future. They're thinking Super Bowl next year, while Sutton could help the Steelers win one this year.
Sutton is the first name on this list the Steelers should be comfortable spending a little extra on.
1. DK Metcalf/Cooper Kupp
Omar Khan has been shooting for the stars all year long, so what's to stop him now? With the Rams beating the Seahawks in Week 9, Cooper Kupp may be unavailable, although he's certainly worth one last phone call. Meanwhile, DK Metcalf might be on the market as the Seahawks dropped their fifth loss in six weeks.
These are two players you pay any price tag for. The only thought is, they can help us pull it all off - and both can. Metcalf has a relationship with Wilson already, and Kupp would fit in any offense with any quarterback. That's why he's a former Offensive Player of the Year.
If the Steelers want to shock the NFL at the trade deadline, they'll land either of these names. And you can expect that, even if they don't, they're going to try.