Participant: WR Marquez Callaway
Inventory Worth: Up
Reasoning: The Steelers haven’t finished a fantastic deal to deal with the extensive receiver place, past some token strikes. After buying and selling Diontae Johnson, they haven’t any established starter behind George Pickens. That performs to the benefit of a veteran like Marquez Callaway (pictured in a helmet subsequent to Van Jefferson), who’s looking for a spot in Pittsburgh.
If Marquez Callaway is seeing 50-plus targets this season, the Steelers are in all probability in bother. However contemplating the options, they’re fairly frankly in peril of doing worse. Proper now, they solely have one established starter in George Pickens surrounded by a bunch of “guys”.
Callaway is a type of “guys” nearly as a lot as anyone else. A veteran of 4 seasons with the New Orleans Saints, he does have over 1,500 snaps’ value of expertise. He has 83 catches to his title for 1,069 yards and seven touchdowns. By far his most in depth taking part in time got here in 2021, throughout which he caught 46 passes for 698 yards and 6 touchdowns.
However that’s two years eliminated, and he has finished little since. Callaway solely dressed for 3 video games final 12 months, for instance, and by no means noticed a goal. He spent a lot of that season on the observe squad and signed with the Steelers on a Reserve/Future deal on the finish of the 12 months.
Marquez Callaway lacks the pace you need in a large receiver, however he does have measurement. And with it wanting like Brandon Aiyuk isn’t coming to city, he’s pretty much as good as the subsequent man. The depth receiver with the best upside of rookie third-round choose Roman Wilson, however he’s as but unproven. Van Jefferson, Quez Watkins, and Scotty Miller have comparable resumes.
For the reason that draft, the Steelers have finished subsequent to nothing to deal with the extensive receiver place. Maybe they nonetheless make a commerce sooner or later, however in all probability not earlier than coaching camp. Guys like Callaway can persuade them that they don’t want exterior assist by stepping up.
Because the season progresses, Steelers gamers’ shares rise and fall. The character of the analysis differs with the time of 12 months, with in-season concerns being extra typically short-term. Concerns within the offseason typically have broader implications, significantly when gamers lose their jobs, or the group indicators somebody. This time of 12 months is stuffed with transactions, whether or not minor or main.
A nasty sport, a brand new contract, an harm, a promotion—any variety of issues have an effect on a participant’s worth. Consider it as a inventory available on the market, based mostly on hypothesis. You’ll really feel higher a few participant after a very good sport, or worse after a foul one. Some inventory updates are minor, whereas others are prone to be fairly drastic, so keep in mind the diploma. I’ll do my finest to elucidate the character of that within the reasoning part of every column.
