Do the Steelers already have their number two receiver on the roster?

by Joe Kuzma (joe_kuzma) on March 9, 2017

The Pittsburgh Steelers have an abundance of depth at wide receiver… but does that mean the position is solidified in any way?

Possibly.

WR1 is out of the way with Antonio Brown landing his monster deal last week, but beyond AB, there could still be enough suitors to spread the ball around to, despite claims of needing “someone else” besides number 84 catching the ball.

Consider that around this time last year, there was very little concern about a number two receiver. The depth chart hasn’t changed much since then, suggesting the Steelers might already have their guy.

The following is a list of Steelers receivers currently under contract, who played in 2016:

Add in the expected return of Martavis Bryant, or the potential return of Markus Wheaton (who is set to enter free agency) and that give the Steelers anywhere from 6-8 wide-outs on their depth chart.

That’s a lot. Most teams do not carry more than five receivers on their active roster at any given time during a season. The only reason Pittsburgh had six at one point in 2016 was due to injuries which sidelined Wheaton (who is not one of the six listed) Coates, and Hey-Bey.

With Wheaton likely gone, and Bryant’s return anything but certain, who will be the number two reciever on this team? Do the Steelers already have that player on their roster?

Maybe. Maybe not.

The Steelers found out the hard way last season, even with several options on the roster, finding a secondary weapon to compliment Brown isn’t a sure thing. This has many speculating that Pittsburgh may select a receiver in next month’s NFL Draft. If they were to do so, the depth chart becomes even more clouded. (As in, seven players at the position.) Aside from Brown, the next available receiver is third-year man Eli Rogers, who showed poise and promise as the Steelers slot receiver; a role he should own for the foreseeable future, barring any setbacks.

After Brown and besides Rogers, the rest of the roster reads better with question marks. I consider Demarcus Ayers, who finally received a helmet at the end of the year, to be a similar player to Rogers. Ayers could be a wild card heading into the preseason, as little is known outside of his small body of work in the final two games of the regular season.

Cobi Hamilton finished the season with a wealth of playing time by default. He was a former practice squad journeyman who made, and missed, some big plays throughout 2016. Darrius Heyward-Bey, a fast receiver better known for his special teams play these days, was missing in action for spurts throughout the season.

Sammie Coates never recovered from a hand injury which sidelined him beyond the Steelers fifth game. (Before that, he was on fire, having five straight games with a catch of 40 or more yards.)

Markus Wheaton, set to become a free agent in mere days, was hurt throughout training camp and eventually fell on IR with a shoulder injury.

That leaves us with Martavis Bryant, who has yet to be reinstated by the league. Without a doubt, if Martavis is brought back, the number two conversation is solved.

If he does not, could Coates, Hey-Bey or Hamilton ascend to the two spot? How about Ayers?

Ayers is intriguing, but undersized; something the Steelers were searching to move away from when Bryant was drafted. Hamilton is 6-2, but might not be the answer; we also know the type of player DHB is already (a dependable backup and special teams guy) while the jury is out if Coates’ year was up-and-down due to injuries, or did we see something else? (Then there’s the entire speculation over whether his fingers will be fixed in time for the regular season or not.)

This probably isn’t where you were expecting this article to go, but none of those receivers on the roster will be the second-leading receiver on the team. That distinction has, and will go to Le’Veon Bell… a running back.

Bell was second in receptions last season with 75 (behind Antonio Brown’s team-leading 106 catches). He also caught 2 touchdowns, while his backup, DeAngelo Williams, added 18 catches and 2 receiving TDs of his own. Bell was suspended for the first three games of the regular season, and didn’t play in the final regular season game; in which D-Will was his replacement for all four.

That means the running back position accounted for 93 receptions and 5 touchdowns: almost more than double Eli Rogers 48 receptions and 3 TDs as the top wide receiver behind AB.

Tight end also plays a prominent role in taking the heat off of Brown, as Jesse James followed in fourth place with 39 grabs for 338 yards and 3 touchdowns. But it’s not James, rather, Ladarius Green who was added during free agency last season, as a big target and vertical threat akin to Bryant. Green appeared in 6 games, starting 2, with only 18 catches, but big ones: he had 304 yards, or 16.9 per catch. (He caught a single touchdown as well.)

Green figures to be a true “two” if Bryant were absent from the team. That means that whoever ends up being the actual “second receiver” will see their production cut by Bell and Green’s presence, and possibly, Eli in the slot.

So does it truly matter if the Steelers have a real “second” receiver if the slack is picked up by other positions?

My answer remains the same: maybe… maybe not.

If those players are capable of staying healthy, anyone could become a viable two. Markus Wheaton and Emmanuel Sanders had flashes as the second guy in Pittsburgh, but never maintained a heavy workload such as AB, or Mike Wallace.

Or even Bryant, who would put to rest these questions, if, he’s reinstated.

Listen for more

Joe Kuzma and Brian Roach recently discussed this same topic on the Steel City Underground Podcast. Click below to listen, or tune in via your favorite provider.