After dealing wide receiver Diontae Johnson to the Carolina Panthers and allowing Allen Robinson to go in free agency, the Pittsburgh Steelers lost two essential components of their passing attack during the offseason.
There is still a huge gap in Pittsburgh’s wide receiver corps, even after the team chose Roman Wilson in the third round of the 2024 draft and added veterans Van Jefferson, Marquez Callaway, and Quez Watkins. Because of this, ESPN’s Bill Barnwell thinks they should acquire wide receiver Treylon Burks of the Tennessee Titans.
Burks was a first-round selection in the past and is probably seeking a change of scenery after the team acquired Tyler Boyd and Calvin Ridley this offseason.
“The Steelers have an opening on the outside after trading away Diontae Johnson this offseason,” Barnwell wrote.
“They selected Roman Wilson with a third-round pick; he may be best suited as a slot receiver in the early going in his career. Former Rams wideout Van Jefferson hasn’t produced well in much better schemes in his professional career.
To offer Burks a fresh start, I could see Pittsburgh sending a 2026 sixth-round pick to Tennessee if the Titans are prepared to eat $6 million of what’s left on his contract.
Although Barnwell’s trade idea makes perfect sense, his proposal shortchanges Burks and the Titans. Burks’ contract would not need to be eaten by the Titans because Pittsburgh has a little over $18 million in cap room.
Moreover, a sixth-round pick two years from now is a pitiful return for a player who was selected two years ago with the 18th overall choice.
With the departures of Johnson and Robinson, the Steelers are, if anything, the club more desperate to complete the trade.
They lost almost 27% of their total receptions, 30% of their receiving yards, and 38% of their touchdown receptions from the previous season.
While Burks’ play has been inconsistent in his first two seasons, he has also struggled with asthma, many injuries, and the uncertainty that comes with playing for two different offensive coordinators and receiving throws from four different quarterbacks in Tennessee.
