The Pittsburgh Steelers‘ biggest need might be on defense, but there’s no shortage of speculation that they’ll add to the offense ahead of the NFL trade deadline.
Pittsburgh, which addressed the defense by trading for safety Kyle Dugger on Oct. 28, has been mentioned repeatedly by insiders as a team in the market for receiver help.
ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler reported the Steelers are among the teams monitoring Las Vegas Raiders wideout Jakobi Meyers, and if the Raiders do move the veteran receiver, Fowler believes Pittsburgh is his most likely landing spot.
“Pittsburgh is keeping tabs on this one but is prepared to be patient, too. If I had to predict a destination right now, I’d say the Steelers,” Fowler wrote in ESPN.com’s weekly NFL buzz and intel column.
Steelers Favored to Land Jakobi Meyers From Raiders?
According to Fowler, it’s still not a certainty the Raiders trade Meyers, despite multiple public requests from the 28-year-old. However, Fowler notes there’s a “decent” chance the Raiders oblige him, and of the receivers who could be on the move, Fowler still thinks Meyers is the most likely to be traded. The recent signing of veteran wideout Tyler Lockett, Fowler notes, could make a trade more likely.
As for the Raiders’ asking price, Fowler thinks Vegas is holding out for significant compensation, at least relative to the situation. Despite having little leverage — not only does Meyers want out, he’s also in the last year of his contract — the Raiders seek “a strong pick for Meyers,” according to Fowler.
Meyers, who hauled in a career-high 1,027 yards last season, is having another fine campaign this year. He has 29 receptions through six games, averaging 11.3 yards per catch, which is right in line with his career total. He has yet to find the end zone, though, for a Raiders team that is 2-5 nearing the halfway point.
Why Meyers Makes Sense for Steelers
The Steelers and Meyers might also be a unique fit. Fowler mentions that other teams might prioritize finding a vertical threat on the outside, and the Steelers might have already done that themselves with the reported addition of Marquez Valdes-Scantling.
Meyers’ game is closer to the line of scrimmage as a possession receiver, and that might fit the Pittsburgh offense with Aaron Rodgers under center even better.
Of 35 quarterbacks with at least 100 plays this season, Rodgers has the third-shortest average depth of target. Only a handful of QBs are getting the ball out quicker than Rodgers.
The Athletic’s Derrik Klassen summed it up well following Rodgers’ impressive performance against a stellar Browns defense in Week 6.
“‘The Rodgers Offense,’ at this stage in the QB’s career, consists of go balls, slants, a smattering of RPO screens and way, way too many flat routes. Everything else is seen as superfluous. The gambit for Pittsburgh was that Rodgers would be good enough at those things while also turning back the clock twice a game, in a 2014 Rodgers sort of way. An ambitious thought, in my mind, but not off the table.”
Giving Rodgers another target like Meyers could certainly help make that last thing more likely to happen more consistently.
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