Tomlin probably got tired of Claypool asking to play music during practices...
So after a bit to think about it, I can see a great deal of benefit and value to both trades the team made yesterday. Honestly, if anything, it was a season or two too late. I will point out that it is a bet of potentially treading water though.
Take a look at the WR room for 2023:
Johnson
Pickens
Austin
Sims?
Boykin (ST's only)
OPEN
That's basically only 2.5 or 3 NFL caliber WRs. So....wanna bet that either the Bears pick or the Steelers original 2 becomes a WR? Especially because they don't have the body types they seem to like in the WR room right now. They have had their WRs blocking a lot and running a hihg % of 3 WR sets. DJ, Sims, Gunner, Austin, etc. aren't blocking anyone. Pickens can only play one position at a time...they're going to need someone else.
Also....I want to bang my head against a wall on the Sims issue. We had to deal with McCloud and Gunner when Sims was sitting right there the whole time. I've never understood why they didn't give him a look sooner. Oh well. It is here now.
Interesting read on Sims, coming out of college.
https://www.hogshaven.com/2019/5/5/1...s-jr-wr-kansas
Bears fans on the radio excited about getting a true #1 WR in this trade. A stat they have thrown out is Claypool has more ‘tight window’ catches than any other WR in the NFL this season. Sounds like win-win to me.
"A true number one"
One team's trash is another team's treasure.
Well, there was no chance he was getting Pickens spot.
Don't think he ever had the speed to be an outside guy. He'll have to develop his moves and route running to pull it off, or just become the king of 50/50 balls.
Not sure what they are expecting... Brandon Marshall?
I knew nothing about him before he had like one random good stretch of games with the WFT and then they let him go and he washed up in Pittsburgh. He can certainly fly and this is a relatively slow team overall so that could help. Assuming they let him on the field and don't just split up Claypools snaps between Gunner, Gentry, and Heyward the Younger.
It is not. But I just listened to a podcast over lunch and due to some CBA stuff related to playing time for younger players, Claypool was going to be making $3.7 million dollars next year. No ifs ands or buts about it. That makes moving on for him for his original round pick just so much more understandable.
It also gives them clarity in the WR roles. Johnson is the X. Pickens is the Z down the field. And Sims/Austin is the undersized hope you don't break but faster than greased snot Y.
Unfortunately they have absolutely no depth. So a bargain bin FA that they will forget about halfway through the season and 2 draft picks?
I don't think that room is as bad as some think it is ....
Add in a mid round selection in 2023 ...
Austin was down right dirty in college if that translates and he gets healthy he is going to be a absolute NIGHTMARE to try and defend and I think Boykin is better than most here are willing to admit he just hasnt had a decent qb to throw to him and now he is in a system that would make Jerry Rice look like Dri Archer
Kenny Pickett is who I though he was .. Eagles problem now
all of the talk about WRs means nothing if you only going to make 5 yard or less passes .
we must never forget tell everyone you know New England cheated and might be back at it Edit 1-21-15 there back Edit #2__12-8-19 here we go again Edit #3__ 5-25-23 it never ends
Exactly. They run a shitty offense. They would want to put him in the slot again. He wouldn't produce again because he's in the slot in a shitty offense. They then blame him for lack of production again, and use that as leverage to pay him next to nothing.
Stay with Mahomes and Andy Reid's offense JuJu.
He must feel like he escaped a Canadian prison!
I’ll go on record now that one of their two second round picks is a wideout.
hard to argue the 2nd and 3rd round seems to be the normal target range for this team and WR's
George Pickens
Chase Claypool
Diontae Johnson
James Washington
JuJu Smith-Schuster
Sammie Coates
Markus Wheaton
Emmanuel Sanders
Mike Wallace
Willie Reid
Antwaan Randle El
so round 2-3 would be a good guess
Kenny Pickett is who I though he was .. Eagles problem now
The trade doesn't make sense unless the Steelers address the OL or DL with the pick. Steelers have taken a WR or TE in the 2nd in 5 of the last 6 drafts.
This doesn't help Pickett this year and probably won't next year either. It seems like Tomlin has paid absolutely no attention to bringing along a rookie QB. None of the parts of a team that help a rookie QB are in place: top OL, top running game, top defense, reliable receivers.
This is why rookie QBs fail so hard on bad teams.