Overreactions from Steelers Nation: The Chase Claypool trade
Welcome to my weekly edition of “Overreactions from Steelers Nation” a weekly column where I poke fun at fans, reporters, and so-called experts while trying to figure out if some of these hot takes are real – or just for attention.
Sitting at 2-6 during their upcoming bye week, the 2022 Pittsburgh Steelers are in uncharted waters. As the NFL’s trade deadline approached at 4 PM on Tuesday, there was speculation as to whether the team would be buyers or sellers: with most of the rumors pointing at players such as the backup quarterbacks, Mitchell Trubisky and Mason Rudolph, and even veteran Cameron Heyward. (Editor’s note: Yeah, that was clickbait for sure!)
However, one name had cropped up more often than others over the last several weeks: WR Chase Claypool. I wasn’t certain that Claypool would be a trade target, seeing as the Steelers third-year player still had an additional year, through 2023, remaining on his current rookie contract.
The thinking was, Claypool, who was drafted in the second round of the 2022 NFL Draft, would have to net at least that type of compensation, or something of high value, for the team to part ways.
The closer the deadline came, the less news that broke – and then the levee flooded with stories from around the league, starting with the announcement that Claypool was being sent to the Chicago Bears for their second round draft selection in 2023. That pick, could end up being the value the Steelers were looking for, as they continue to rebuild, er reload, through this tumultuous 2022 campaign.
As of today, the Steelers pick they received from the Bears in the Claypool trade is 44th overall.
IF the season ended today, the Steelers would have the 4th, 36th and 44th overall pick in the 2023 draft.
— Mark Kaboly (@MarkKaboly) November 1, 2022
The potential for the Steelers to have three draft picks in the top 50 selections next year is enticing, seeing as Claypool was their first pick in 2020 as the 49th overall choice.
Coming out of Notre Dame, the Canadian born Claypool drew comparisons to Detroit Lions great Calvin Johnson, receiving the name “Mapletron” because of those similarities and his cultural roots. However, it’s those physical traits which also saw him slide into the second round of the draft, as teams couldn’t decide whether the 6-4, 238 lbs. player was better suited as a receiver or a tight end.
Regardless, the Steelers made the splash and Claypool appeared to have a great rookie season, catching 62 passes for 873 yards and 9 touchdowns. He would also rush for two additional scores.
Many fans felt that the bigger framed pass catcher regressed last season, despite catching only three fewer passes (59) for 13 fewer years (860). That’s because his touchdown totals dipped from 11 to 2, with only one fewer game played year-to-year. However, Chase’s yards-per-reception were up a half-yard per-catch…
That leads to 2022, where Steelers Nation is suddenly up in arms over letting Claypool go. The sentiment baffles me, quite honestly.
While I was a proponent of keeping Claypool for the next year and a half of his lower cost rookie contract, that’s not how the fanbase was treating him for failing to use his size to high-point a ball which was ultimately picked in a loss to the Jets – or falling down when making contact with a much smaller defensive back in primetime in another loss to the Dolphins. (That targeted pass was also intercepted, by the way.)
Fans were calling Claypool soft and continued to point towards his touchdown totals being down, despite his numbers being on par otherwise through two seasons. But this third year truly showed regression, albeit a product of the woeful and almost entirely last-ranked Steelers offense.
Claypool’s 14.1 and 14.6 yards-per-reception nosedived to 9.7 yards-per-catch through eight games, as the now former Steelers receiver caught 32 of 50 passes thrown his way for a paltry 311 yards. He converted 17 first downs, which was still on pace to about equal his 41 and 35 such plays through his first two seasons.
In other words, it appears that Steelers GM Omar Kahn, along with the rest of the staff (including receivers coach Frisman Jackson) felt that they could sell high on a falling commodity.
Through his 39 games in Pittsburgh, Claypool on exceeded 100 yards receiving on three occasions. The dip in production, while roughly playing 80% or more of the team’s offensive snaps this season, was concerning. Put into perspective, former Steelers receiver and fellow second-round pick James Washington put up a 13.1 yards-per-catch season in 2020 with 30 catches for 392 yards. Washington also scored five touchdowns.
Even beleaguered TE Jesse James, in his last years with the Steelers in 2018, put up 423 yards (14.1 YPA) on 30 receptions. That was good for fifth-best on a team led by two 1,000 yard receivers in Antonio Brown and JuJu Smith-Schuster, further hammering home the point that Claypool was not only expendable, but replaceable – and especially so for what could be a top 50 draft pick next year.
But who replaces Claypool?
My initial thought is Miles Boykin, the 6-4 220 lbs. receiver claimed from the Baltimore Ravens this offseason. Boykin has seen a small uptick in playing time, mostly as a blocker. (He has one catch for 11 yards so far.) Boykin averaged 15.2 and 14.0 yards-per-catch in his first two season with the Ravens as well.
Steven Sims, who is six inches shorter than either Claypool or Boykin, and weighs 40-50 lbs. lighter than both receivers, could be in line to see more of the jet sweep action, but projects to be mostly used as a special teams return specialist. Gunner Olszewski is another smaller receiver who currently lost his return job to Sims and trends with he and Boykin as seldom-rans in the Steelers offense.
Quite a few people believe that George Pickens will pickup the slack, but the rookie is already playing a decent amount of snaps too, with 70% or better playing time in each of the eight games through Week 8.
That leaves the only healthy receiver left, on the practice squad, Cody White, who is a bigger body at 6-3 215 lbs. as a potential option, but I feel the Steelers will opt to go another route and get their tight ends more involved. That should mean more targets for not only Pat Freiermuth and Zach Gentry, but perhaps more playing time for rookie Connor Heyward, who has seen his needle slightly rise through the last few weeks.
We could also see FB Derek Watt utilized more often as the Steelers use the bye week to figure out ways to get their nonexistent running game going. Disguising packages with the bigger skill set positions could be one way and Claypool’s playing time may have been sacrificed in the interim anyway, making this next half-year a wash. If my speculation is correct, that means the Steelers would’ve shopped Claypool again this offseason regardless, and seeing this early return of a high second round choice from Chicago was the best case scenario for the organization and Claypool as well.
In that regard, I have to give new general manager Omar Khan credit for quickly recognizing where the team can improve now and in the future. I’d also like to wish Claypool best wishes in his future and remind Steelers fans that you hated his Tik Toks, and wished this guy was gone.
Now that yinz go your wish, stop being so upset about the small amount of offense that can be easily replaced in the second half of this season.
