Category: Steelers Wire News

It’s looking like a long shot that the Steelers will trade for Brandon Aiyuk

Could the Pittsburgh Steelers land wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk in a trade with San Fransisco 49ers?

DJ Chark, Odell Beckham Jr. and soon, Tyler Boyd. Serviceable wide receivers are flying off the free agency board one by one as the Pittsburgh Steelers continue to have one of the NFL’s weakest corps. What does Omar Khan have up his sleeve?

The Steelers GM claims there’s nothing imminent, which, if true, is a serious concern. All we can do is trust that as we speculate until our faces turn blue.

Rumors of a trade with the San Fransisco 49ers for star WR  Brandon Aiyuk have been swirling for what seems like forever. GM John Lynch has stood by his message that there are no plans to get rid of him or Deebo Samuel.

Outside the Steelers brass, no one knows for sure what’s really going on with their wide receiver situation. Odds that once leaned toward Pittsburgh are no longer in favor of the team landing the talented veteran.

BetArizona.com came up with hypothetical odds for where Aiyuk will play next season, and the Steelers were put at a bleak +2000 (4.8%). Aiyuk remaining with San Fransisco takes the lead at -300 (75%).

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Ex-Steelers WR Chase Claypool finds new NFL home

Former Steelers WR Chase Claypool was signed to a one-year contract by the Bills.

Per NFL on CBS’ Jonathan Jones, Chase Claypool has found a new NFL home, signing a one-year contract with the Buffalo Bills.

Pro Football Focus reported last month that the Canadian-born Claypool was added to the CFL Saskatchewan Roughriders’ exclusive negotiation list, but he doesn’t have to deal with that — right now, at least.

In 2022, the Steelers traded Claypool to the Chicago Bears in exchange for a second-round pick, which Pittsburgh used to draft Joey Porter Jr.

Claypool suited up for just 10 games for Chicago before being dealt to the Miami Dolphins, where he caught eight passes for 77 yards and a score in a dozen games.

Fourth time’s a charm?

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Steelers ST coach kicks around idea of Justin Fields as a returner

Jaylen Warren gave out information he probably shouldn’t have on Cam Heyward’s podcast.

Ya know, not everything that gets talked about in NFL meets needs to be made public. Pittsburgh Steelers running back Jaylen Warren went on Cam Heyward’s podcast and offered up some inside information about new quarterback Justin Fields that should be just enough to get all of Steeler Nation whipped into a frenzy.

According to Warren, special teams coordinator Danny Smith has discussed the possibility of using Fields as a kicker returner this season.

Whether or not having Fields return kicks is a good idea isn’t the point. The last thing Fields needs is something like this to come out given the amount of criticism he’s taken in his young career. Many of his critics questioned if he could be an NFL quarterback and honestly, it would be disrespectful to Fields if the team asked him to do this.

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Pro Football Network offers puzzling observation about Steelers roster

PFN thinks quarterback is the Steelers biggest roster weakness and we respectfully disagree.

The Pittsburgh Steelers had a strong free agency and even better 2024 NFL draft. Nevertheless, we all acknowledge there is still work to be done if the Steelers want to seriously compete in the AFC this season.

But we have to respectfully disagree with the opinion of Pro Football Network on what they consider the Steelers biggest roster weakness after the draft. They chose quarterback and this one has us scratching our heads.

The Steelers gutted out their quarterback depth chart swapping Kenny Pickett, Mason Rudolph and Mitch Trubisky for Russell Wilson, Justin Fields and Kyle Allen. This is a clear upgrade over last season.

What do we consider the team’s biggest weakness at this point? Despite selecting Roman Wilson in the 2024 NFL draft, it is still wide receiver for me, followed closely by cornerback. This is the most confident we’ve been about the quarterback position since Ben Roethlisberger retired and have far more concerns about who Russell Wilson is going to throw to.

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No excuses for Steelers QBs Russell Wilson, Justin Fields

There are simply no excuses for Steelers QBs Russell Wilson and Justin Fields heading into the 2024 season.

Everywhere you look, the Pittsburgh Steelers’ 2024 draft haul is hailed as one of the league’s best. And it’s no surprise why. While a class can’t be fairly judged for another few seasons, on the surface, the Steelers hit the bullseye with nearly every pick.

Without moving an inch, Omar Khan and Andy Weidl scored a rare blend of best player available meets need, meets fit, meets value. And that’s just with their offensive line. With an eye toward the future, they snagged three defenders who can work their way up to starting roles.

There are simply no excuses for quarterbacks Russell Wilson and Justin Fields as far as protection goes. The styles in which both play require a staunch line to make it work. What started with then-rookie Broderick Jones and veteran guard James Daniels has expanded with three offensive line picks in Troy Fautanu, Zach Frazier and Mason McCormick. Tackle, center and guard were all positions Pittsburgh desperately needed to fill with players who weren’t heading elsewhere as quickly as they arrived.

Should the unit’s performance all come together as beautifully as the class was constructed, whoever starts under center will flourish.

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Steelers closing in on deal with ‘significant playmaker,’ per Bryant McFadden

A move all of Steelers Nation has been waiting for is finally about to go down, according to a former Pittsburgh CB. 

A move all of Steelers Nation has been waiting for is finally about to go down.

At least that’s according to ex-Steelers cornerback Bryant McFadden, who has tweeted that Omar Khan is “very close to landing a significant playmaker.”

The only question is: Who is it?

That could be a wide receiver or cornerback. Players at the respective positions who’ve been speculated about for months include wide receivers Brandon Aiyuk, Deebo Samuel and Courtland Sutton, along with cornerback Justin Simmons.

It could also be re-signing a former player, which would be a massive disappointment after all the offseason hype surrounding a premier name.

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Draft analyst questions Steelers passing on CB Quinyon Mitchell

Did the Steelers make the right pick in the first round of the 2024 NFL draft?

The Pittsburgh Steelers pulled off another strong draft in 2024. The Steelers could have as many as three day one starters from their 2024 NFL draft class including offensive tackle Troy Fautanu. Pittsburgh selected Fautanu in the first round and they had several good options.

One of those options was former Toldeo Quinyon Mitchell and NFL draft pundit Tony Pauline questioned the Steelers pick of Fautanu and passing on Mitchell.

“In Fautanu, the Steelers are getting an athletic, mobile blocker similar to who they selected a year ago in Broderick Jones,” Pauline said. “And while it’s never a bad thing to have two of those players, they let the best cornerback in the draft slide by when they passed on Mitchell.”

It will be interesting to see how Fautanu plays compared to how Mitchell does across the state with the Philadelphia Eagles. We also want to keep a close eye on how the Tampa Bay Buccaneers use offensive lineman Graham Barton.

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Steelers HC Mike Tomlin on the offensive line: ‘We just wanna roll people’

The Steelers loaded up on offensive linemen in the 2024 NFL draft.

The Pittsburgh Steelers offensive line has been a work in progress for the last few seasons. Despite the front office’s best efforts, the offensive line has been the weak link in the offense.

Last season the Steelers took a huge step to improving the offensive line by trading up to select offensive tackle Broderick Jones. In 2024 they upped things even more by selecting three more offensive linemen including two guys, Troy Fautanu and Zach Frazier, who should start as rookies.

After the draft, head coach Mike Tomlin talked about the decision to load up on nasty, physical offensive linemen in the draft.

“We just wanna roll people, man, to be honest with you guys,” Tomlin said. “We have some backs that we like. We have a good offensive line. We took Broderick Jones a year ago. This draft pool or class we thought was really loaded with some top-end offensive line talent and we just wanted to draw from that well.”

The new Steelers offense under new offensive coordinator Arthur Smith is shaping up to be a physical, punishing run game with this new offensive line and tandem of powerful backs.

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New Steelers C Zach Frazier shows ultimate tough-guy move in college

Zach Frazier brings a mentality of toughness to the Steelers.

In the second round of the 2024 NFL draft, the Pittsburgh Steelers selected former West Virginia center Zach Fraizer. Frazier is a mauler with a powerful punch and the ability to finish every play. He’s also one of the toughest dudes you will ever come across.

If you want an example of just how tough Frazier is, here ya go. In the Mountaineers final game of the 2023 college football season, Frazier broke his leg on his team’s final drive. Frazier had the presence to know his team had no timeouts remaining so he couldn’t just lay down on the field and wait for help to arrive.

So instead he got up and did a three-limbed bear crawl off the field as fast as he could to make sure his team could keep marching down the field and waste no time on him.

If you want a follow-up just consider when Frazier addressed the media after being selected by the Steelers he declared he was 100 percent healthy despite suffering the broken leg in late November of 2023.

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2024 NFL draft: Grading the pick of WR Roman Wilson in the third round

2024 NFL draft: Grading the pick of WR Roman Wilson in the third round

After trading away wide receiver Diontae Johnson, a starting wide receiver became a top need in the 2024 NFL draft. This is despite the Steelers signing multiple veteran free agents. After going offensive line with the first two picks in the draft, the Steelers opted for former Michigan wide receiver Roman Wilson in the third round.

What does Wilson bring to the party for the Steelers? Critics of Wilson will question whether or not he can line up consistently on the outside at only 5-foot-11 and 185 pounds but physically he’s practically a clone of former Steeler Antonio Brown.

Wilson’s game is all about his speed, explosion, competitive nature and sure hands. Wilson is very difficult to press and if you miss, he is gone. He is one of those receivers who has a second gear when he needs it and we hope to see more of it in the NFL.

Overall, we give this pick a B+. Wilson should get worked into the offense quickly and has all the makings of the next great Steelers receiver to come from the middle rounds.

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