Full props to the Pittsburgh Steelers for acquiring wide receiver DK Metcalf from Seattle for a second-round draft pick.
That’s not too pricey. Signing Metcalf to a five-year, $150-million contract is.
The Steelers are paying two guys quarterback money. But neither plays quarterback.
That’s OK. A bold move was needed to shake the Steelers out of their staleness. At the very least, it should prop up the Mike Tomlin myth via another non-losing season.
But will it win a playoff game?
Maybe.
To make sure, here’s what the Steelers have to do next:
• Sign Sam Darnold to play quarterback. (The Steelers have reportedly made overtures.)
• Don’t extend T.J. Watt’s contract. (Consider trading him.)
• Draft Ohio State receiver Emeka Egbuka with their first-round pick (21st overall).
• Modernize their offense.
None of those moves are probable. But I never thought they’d trade for Metcalf, so who knows?
If the Steelers don’t get a quarterback that is a legit thrower of the football, there’s no point in getting Metcalf.
Darnold has failed in the NFL more than he’s succeeded. The Steelers would be his fifth team in eight seasons.
But Darnold is a quality passer. He had career highs in yards, touchdowns, completion percentage and passer rating with Minnesota last year.
Wideouts Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison are a potent pair and were a big part of Darnold’s success with the Vikings.
But in Pittsburgh, Darnold would have Metcalf and George Pickens.
Or draft Egbuka and trade Pickens, Because you can’t afford to pay both Pickens and Metcalf.
Pickens knows that and would thus be an insufferable lame duck during the final year of his rookie contract. Egbuka would make peanuts on the first year of his rookie deal.
Darnold can work with great receivers. He proved that with the Vikings.
It’s easy to surmise that the Steelers will draft a defensive lineman in the first round now that they acquired Metcalf. It’s a need. It makes sense.
But it seems time to switch the Steelers’ dynamic. Start investing big in offense. Investing big in defense hasn’t worked.
Can offensive coordinator Arthur Smith make proper use of Metcalf?
Smith had better, or Metcalf won’t be happy when his stats dwindle.
If the Steelers sign Darnold, it makes sense to replace Smith with somebody more high-tech. But the Steelers won’t.
It’s difficult to see Smith’s prehistoric, predictable approach make good use of Metcalf. Especially when put through the Tomlin filter of minimal risk.
If the Steelers bring back Russell Wilson or Justin Fields to play quarterback, getting Metcalf won’t help enough.
Wilson is past his prime. (Sure, Wilson and Metcalf played together for three seasons in Seattle. That doesn’t matter. This Wilson isn’t that Wilson.)
Fields is an inferior passer.
Getting Metcalf helps, to be sure. But a lot more has got to be done.
The Steelers can’t extend Watt. That’s been discussed in this space recently.
Acquiring Metcalf changes the dynamic of the Steelers.
Make Watt play out the final year of his contract while you see where this new dynamic takes the team.
That figures to make Watt monumentally unhappy, so trade him. Get draft picks and add cheap, talented pieces.
Watt has been great, but where has it gotten the Steelers?
The Steelers are stale.
Getting Metcalf can change that if the Steelers make a few logical, corresponding decisions.
Aaron Rodgers actually fits that description.
Signing Rodgers seems a longshot, but he would be more likely to have a good, Indian-summer type season with the Steelers than soil the bed. Added bonus: His nitwit, flat-earther ideology would be embraced by half of Pittsburgh and cause outrage with the other half. #BestForBusiness
Categories: Mark Madden Columns | Sports | Steelers/NFL
