There weren’t many weaknesses on the 2017 Pittsburgh Steelers roster heading into the offseason. Then suddenly, there was one glaring, gaping hole which needed to be filled.

The Steelers parted ways with tight end Ladarius Green, a free agent acquisition prior to the 2016 season who showed flashes of what Pittsburgh’s offense could look like with a large vertical threat. However, Green’s season was plagued with injuries and recurring concussion concerns which kept the tight end out of ten regular season games and the entire postseason.

Needless to say, it was no surprise the Steelers cut ties with him following one year with the team. The surprise, however, is that the front office didn’t fill his vacancy with a free agent signing or via the draft. Instead, Pittsburgh was moving forward with 2015 fifth round pick Jesse James, undrafted journeyman project Xavier Grimble, retread seventh round choice David Johnson (on his second stint with the team) and a host of college free agents including Scott Orndoff, Phazahn Odom, and Jake McGee.

James was better than expected in 2016 and saw a ton of playing time, playing the most snaps last season outside of the offensive linemen and the “Killer B’s”. However, his blocking, at times, leaves much to be desired, and quite honestly, the unproven depth behind him is very concerning. Grimble didn’t have the best preseason and Johnson is a blocker and not much of a receiving threat.

Of the rookies, Orndoff was released early into camp while Odom and McGee haven’t heard their name called often in the team’s first three preseason games.

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Enter the answer to the depth issue, former San Francisco tight end Vance McDonald. The Steelers traded for McDonald on Tuesday afternoon, sending a future fourth round pick to the 49ers for the tight end and San Fran’s fifth round choice. On paper, Pittsburgh moves back from the bottom of the fourth round into the higher portion of the fifth and gains a player the 49ers were all but too eager to be rid of.

So what does McDonald offer the Steelers? A more athletic tight end in the vein of what they were looking for with Green: a player who can operate out of the slot and provide a vertical threat to eat the middle of the defense. Compare McDonald’s draft measurables to that of Jesse James and Xavier Grimble, for example.

Vance McDonald’s pre-draft measurables

Jesse Jame’s pre-draft measurables

Xavier Grimble’s pre-draft measurables

As you can see, James and Grimble aren’t the most athletic pass-catching options. Green was to remedy the situation:

 

James made strides in 2016 but doesn’t gain many yards after the catch. Grimble wasn’t always healthy and had problems with dropped passes last season. And of course, Green wasn’t available hardly at all. He had two big games against the Colts (two receptions, 67 yards) and Giants (six receptions, 110 yards, and a touchdown).

His presence was far superior in short spurts than that of any other Steelers tight end in 2016. Off of 338 receiving yards, James only had 119 yards after the catch. Ladarius Green mustered 94 out of 304 receiving yards and Grimble had 43 out of 118.

That’s where the newly acquired player comes into play. Vance McDonald’s YAC was a whopping 210 yards out of his 310 receiving total.

And that was with Blaine Gabbert and Colin Kaepernick passing him the ball.

The one knock on McDonald had been his drop rate, which lowered drastically in 2016 down to only four targets attributed statistically as drops. One might assume that his new scenery, playing with quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, could improve his play and that’s the bet the Steelers are likely making. That risk is a low one, as the Steelers move down maybe twenty spots in the draft to acquire a receiving threat who can do what Green couldn’t in 2016.

I’d say that’s a great gamble to take in light of the other options available.