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<\/p>\nThe\u00a0Pittsburgh Steelers\u00a0need more wide receiver depth on the 2024 roster. Former Steelers linebacker Arthur Moats suggested the Steelers could find receiving depth with the return of a familiar face this offseason \u2014\u00a0JuJu Smith-Schuster.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\u201cYeah, I\u2019ve said that. I\u2019m definitely on that train,\u201d\u00a0Moats said on The Arthur Moats Experience podcast\u00a0about Smith-Schuster potentially returning to Pittsburgh.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut he\u2019s still under contract in New England. I was waiting, I was waiting. I\u2019m like, \u2018Alright, it\u2019s the weird time.’\u201d<\/p>\n
Smith-Schuster signed\u00a0a 3-year, $25.5 million contract with the\u00a0New England Patriots\u00a0last offseason.<\/p>\n
According to Spotrac, the Patriots would take a bigger dead cap hit releasing Smith-Schuster than cap hit with him on the roster. So, the veteran receiver has remained on the Patriots roster.<\/p>\n
To bring Smith-Schuster back to Pittsburgh, the Steelers would have to acquire him in a trade.<\/p>\n
Smith-Schuster has played\u00a0seven NFL seasons, five of which in Pittsburgh. He made the 2018 Pro Bowl with the Steelers while recording 111 receptions, 1,426 receiving yards and 7 touchdowns.<\/p>\n
With the Patriots last season,\u00a0Smith-Schuster posted\u00a029 catches, 260 receiving yards and 1 touchdown in 11 games.<\/p>\n
Moats\u2019 co-host Deke called\u00a0an April Fool\u2019s tweet about the Steelers acquiring Smith-Schuster from the Patriots for a sixth-round pick \u201cbelievable.\u201d\u00a0SI.com\u2019s All Steelers\u2019 Noah Strackbein also proposed\u00a0the Steelers could land Smith-Schuster for a 2024 sixth-rounder.<\/p>\n
For that low cost, it could be worth the Steelers taking a flier on the 27-year-old receiver. But that could be more because the Steelers are rather desperate for receiving depth at the moment.<\/p>\n
After\u00a0trading Diontae Johnson\u00a0during the first week of free agency,\u00a0George Pickens\u00a0became the only wideout currently on the Pittsburgh roster who had more than 209 receiving yards last season.<\/p>\n
Since the Johnson trade, the Steelers signed\u00a0Van Jefferson\u00a0and\u00a0Quez Watkins\u00a0to league-minimum contracts. However, Jefferson and Watkins combined for only 351 receiving yards in 2023.<\/p>\n
With Smith-Schuster, the Steelers would be adding better quality receiving depth. Jefferson and Watkins have each posted just one season with at least 400 receiving yards. Smith-Schuster has surpassed the 800-yard total four times in his career.<\/p>\n
His outgoing personality made the receiver a popularity player while in Pittsburgh from 2017-21. That and his familiarity with the organization could make him an attractive target if the price is a low draft pick.<\/p>\n
If the Steelers were getting the 2020 version of Smith-Schuster from the Patriots, it would likely be a no-brainer to re-acquire the former second-rounder. But injuries have significantly slowed down Smith-Schuster over the past three years.<\/p>\n
In 2021,\u00a0he played\u00a0just five regular season games, registering 15 catches for 129 yards. Therefore, he\u2019s had under 275 receiving yards in two of the past three years.<\/p>\n
SI.com\u2019s All Steelers Talk\u2019s Stephen Thompson would have considered the idea of the Steelers trading for Smith-Schuster before the Jefferson or Watkins signings. But he argued it doesn\u2019t make much sense to trade for Smith-Schuster now.<\/p>\n
\u201cJuJu is still relatively young given his time in the league. There\u2019s a high likelihood that he could come back from whatever injuries he had and be a productive player again,\u201d\u00a0Thompson said on All Steelers Talk on April 8. \u201cBut you\u2019ve already got two slot guys that I\u2019m not super intrigued by.<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t think JuJu brings you anything different or different enough especially to warrant a trade or giving up a draft pick.\u201d<\/p>\n
In a way, trading for Smith-Schuster wouldn\u2019t really help Pittsburgh\u2019s receiver depth. Thompson argued Smith-Schuster, Jefferson and Watkins would all compete for the same slot receiver role in the Pittsburgh offense.<\/p>\n
Third-year receiver\u00a0Calvin Austin III\u00a0is yet another option for the Steelers in the slot.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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