It feels so long ago, but Antonio Brown’s acrimonious split from the Pittsburgh Steelers dominated the NFL news cycle earlier this year.
Now, with training camps looming, the Steelers must face the question of how they’ll replace the talented wide receiver. His act became a distraction and, after demanding a trade, he was shipped to the Oakland Raiders for a paltry return, but that does nothing to change the fact that in nine seasons with the Steelers he was one of the league’s most productive and dynamic pass catchers.
And the Steelers have very little in the way of possible replacements. JuJu Smith-Schuster is very good — but he ran most of his routes from the slot with Brown attracting the attention of the defense on the outside. Who among the remaining and new wide outs will have the same impact? Probably nobody. Ryan Switzer, James Washington and Eli Rogers combined for a total of 64 catches last year, while Donte Moncrief (signed as a free agent) and Diontae Johnson (a third-round pick out of Toledo) have been brought in to fight for spots as well.
That’s … not exactly the most imposing group. Vance McDonald is sure-handed but does little to scare opposing defensive coordinators. The Steelers are going to have to be creative in finding ways to get receivers open, which means running back James Connor will again be one of Ben Roethlisberger’s favorite targets (he was third on the team last year with 55 catches.)
