Halfway through the 2019 season, the Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver corps has been anything but predictable. Going into the season, the Steelers thought JuJu Smith-Schuster would become a downfield nuisance that would be able to make big plays for the offense. Free agent Donte Moncrief would step in as a solid No. 2 with some big-play potential, while James Washington and rookie Diontae Johnson would supply a steady influx of big plays downfield.
None of that has come to reality, and Moncrief has been the biggest disappointment. He’s had three receptions in two games started and is no longer active most weeks. So why is cutting Moncrief before the trade deadline so important?
This idea revolves around the compensatory pick algorithm the NFL uses to award teams compensatory draft picks based on free agent departures. If anyone says they know the algorithm, they’re flat-out lying. Even NFL front offices don’t know it, but they do know some facts. The formula takes into consideration the round a player was drafted in, the amount of snaps they played and their production.
The Steelers lost Le’Veon Bell in free agency and would certainly be deserving of a third-round compensatory pick, the highest level awarded. He was a second-round draft pick and played a lot of snaps — not to mention he was highly productive. But the 2018 season, which he sat out entirely, will definitely factor into the NFL’s algorithm. Also, take into account that the Steelers already traded away their first-round pick for 2020, and suddenly getting that top compensatory pick becomes is a higher priority than in years past.
Going into this season, the Steelers thought the departure of L.J. Fort to the Philadelphia Eagles, combined with the loss of Bell, was a pretty safe bet for a compensatory third-rounder. But the Eagles cut Fort, and that muddied the waters. He’s now a Baltimore Raven, and he’s in their linebacker rotation, but is that considered the Steelers’ loss? Or is it the Eagles’? Nobody has a definitive answer, most people would argue it’s the Steelers loss since Fort departed in free agency and is now playing on a new contract.
But still, why risk missing the boat on a third-round compensatory draft pick? Especially for a running back as talented as Bell. Cutting Moncrief, a second-round draft pick, would cement the Steelers garnering a third-round compensatory pick in 2020, and they’re surrendering literally no offensive production. God forbid the Steelers keep Moncrief and end up getting a fourth- or fifth-round compensatory pick for Bell when Moncrief isn’t even suiting up. In fact, cutting Moncrief frees up a spot in the receivers room for the Steelers to bring a new player before Tuesday’s trade deadline. If the Steelers are cognizant of all of this, look for Moncrief’s time with the Steelers to be coming to an end.
