Getty ESPN's Brooke Pryor suggested a hypothetical where the Pittsburgh Steelers could trade slot wideout Calvin Austin III to land a No. 2 wide receiver.
The Pittsburgh Steelers had their best passing day of the season in Week 7. But that doesn’t mean they couldn’t still use an upgrade at wide receiver before the NFL trade deadline passes. On October 23, ESPN’s Brooke Pryor suggested a hypothetical where the Steelers use third-year wideout Calvin Austin III to help them land a new WR2.
In ESPN’s latest NFL trade guide, Pryor picked Austin as Pittsburgh’s most likely player to be on the move before the November 5 trade deadline.
“The only scenario that makes Austin, or any other player, a tradable asset is if trading him away gains a more established player at the position,” Pryor wrote. “Could Pittsburgh package Austin with a late-round pick to acquire a solid veteran No. 2 receiver?”
When pushed to answer her own hypothetical, Pryor argued the Steelers probably won’t trade Austin. But if giving up the speedy wideout meant upgrading their starting receiver opposite George Pickens, the Steelers should probably consider the move.
“There’s no plausible trade right now that would involve Austin, but if the Steelers do move someone on their roster, he is probably the most logical candidate if it gives them a big enough upgrade to their receiver room,” Steelers Depot’s Joe Clark wrote. “The other factor that could make it somewhat plausible is that Roman Wilson is probably Pittsburgh’s long-term option in the slot.”
Calvin Austin III’s Role With the Steelers in 2024
Austin hauled in a 55-yard touchdown in Week 3 versus the Los Angeles Chargers. He’s also averaged 9.5 yards per punt return this season.
That’s nearly a first down per punt return. That average is an improvement of nearly a full yard from a year ago.
But overall, Austin hasn’t been a consistent producer for the Steelers in the slot. Part of that has been the team’s game plan and quarterback play. Still, Austin has 11 catches for 203 yards this season. Again, 55 of those yards came on one play.
Austin had a 36-yard reception in Week 7 versus the New York Jets. But he didn’t catch his other 3 targets.
He’s averaging 18.5 yards per reception this season, but he’s not converting enough of his opportunities. Austin has hauled in 52.4% of his targets.
While he’s only 25 years old and still has one year left on his affordable rookie deal, it’s possible his potential is worth more to the Steelers on the trade market over the next two weeks than on the team’s roster.
Is the Future Now for Rookie WR Roman Wilson?
As Clark suggested, the other factor that could contribute to a trade involving Austin is 2024 third-round pick Roman Wilson. The two receivers have a similar skillset, and Wilson is expected to become Pittsburgh’s slot wideout of the future.
The question, though, is when will that future start. Wilson missed valuable practice time during training camp and the preseason because of an ankle injury. He wasn’t healthy to begin the regular season either.
Wilson worked his way back for Week 6. He played 5 offensive snaps versus the Las Vegas Raiders on October 13. But he sustained a hamstring injury ahead of Week 7 and didn’t play on October 20.
Although Wilson is still the team’s future in the slot, it’s looking more and more likely that 2024 will be a redshirt year for the rookie. That could give the Steelers pause if another team wishes to acquire Austin in a deal before November 5.
The Steelers will likely have to land a significant receiver upgrade in return to make Austin expendable.
Comments
Steelers Insider Stirs Pot on Pit Trading Speedy Pass Catcher to Land No. 2 WR