McCorkle: Rating The Steelers’ Greatest (And Worst) Veteran WR Choices

GM Omar Khan made it clear that the Pittsburgh Steelers didn’t do sufficient final season on the large receiver place. He didn’t rule out addressing the place with each a veteran acquisition and a draft decide. It appears possible that the Steelers might be including to that room over the following week both through commerce or free company.

The veteran market has loads of choices in the meanwhile, so I needed to check out a number of of the highest names and evaluate their stats towards one another to type out the cream from the crop.

To start, under are the names we might be right now together with their fundamental 2024 stats, age, measurements, and most up-to-date contract worth. The primary two on the checklist, Cooper Kupp and DK Metcalf, would must be acquired through commerce. The remainder are free brokers or pending ones and free to barter a brand new contract.

Participant
Top-Weight
Age
2024 Stats (Rec-Yds-TDs)
Prev. Contract
Video games Missed (3 yrs)

Cooper Kupp
6016-207
31.7
67-710-6
$26.7m
18

DK Metcalf
6033-235
27.2
66-992-5
$24.0m
3

Amari Cooper
6007-210
30.7
44-547-4
$20.0m
5

Darius Slayton
6010-198
28.2
39-573-2
$6.2m
2

Tyler Lockett
5097-182
32.4
49-600-2
$15.0m
1

Davante Adams
6007-215
32.2
85-1063-8
$28.0m
3

Keenan Allen
6020-211
32.9
70-744-7
$20.03m
13

Chris Godwin
6010-209
29.0
50-576-5
$20.0m
12

The one receiver from this group who went over 1,000 yards final season was Davante Adams, although a number of the others possible would have if not for accidents. One other notable facet of this checklist is that the common age of the group is 30.5. Aside from Metcalf, Godwin, and Slayton, the Steelers could be getting a receiver who is probably going coming into his ultimate NFL contract.

Kupp, Allen, and Godwin have missed essentially the most video games during the last three seasons, however Godwin is the least regarding. Kupp and Allen are of their 30s and have persistently missed time in every of the final three seasons. Godwin largely simply missed a bit final yr attributable to a extreme ankle dislocation.

Nearly all of those gamers have been paid at the very least $20 million or extra on their most up-to-date contracts. Attributable to age and 2024 manufacturing, that would drop for a few of them, however the two least expensive choices would possible be Slayton, Lockett, and possibly Cooper. Allen could be expensive however not break the financial institution. The others would all be large-money investments.

With all of that fundamental info out of the way in which, let’s have a look at some superior metrics to see how they’ve fared during the last two seasons.

The Steelers have the big-play receiver, however have they got one who’s persistently getting open? That was a difficulty final yr, so ideally they’ll purchase a veteran who is aware of easy methods to get open to assist the quarterback out.

The above chart reveals their common separation and yards per route run. Adams, Godwin, Allen, and Kupp all separate nicely and are environment friendly on a per-route foundation. Cooper, Metcalf, and Slayton battle to separate. Lockett, who was once among the finest separators, can also be beginning to battle in that space. Regardless of the dearth of separation, Metcalf and Cooper nonetheless put up wholesome effectivity with their yards per route run, suggesting they’re profitable on deep routes or contested catches.

This chart plots the yards per reception versus their common yards after the catch (YAC). Metcalf, Slayton, and Cooper are gaining yards at a wholesome clip on a per-reception foundation. Metcalf and Slayton are gaining chunk of these after the catch whereas Cooper just isn’t. Godwin leads the way in which in YAC whereas Lockett is producing little or no after the catch.

Adams and Kupp are each producing extra YAC than anticipated given the kind of routes they’re working based mostly on their YPR.

These final two charts have given us an thought of how typically the receivers are getting open and the way good they’re with the ball of their arms, however what about truly catching the ball?

This chart reveals contested-catch charges versus drop charges. Slayton is as soon as once more in a doubtful spot on the chart with a drop charge of 10.45 % during the last two seasons. He’s additionally one of many worst of the bunch in contested catches, although I definitely wouldn’t have guessed that Metcalf could be lifeless final within the group for contested catches at his measurement.

Godwin is in a league of his personal with the very best drop charge of two.1 % and the second-best contested-catch charge of 54.7 %. Cooper Kupp can also be doing fairly nicely. For the way a lot Allen is separating nonetheless, his contested-catch charge is fairly spectacular, although he’s dropping extra passes than could be very best.

The most important disappointment on this chart is Davante Adams. He appeared good in many of the different metrics, however he’s dropped quite a lot of passes and failed in contested-catch eventualities lately, at the very least in comparison with the opposite receivers on this checklist.

Conclusions

Cash apart, these stats present me that the splashiest possibility for the Steelers could be Chris Godwin. He will get open and catches virtually every little thing thrown his means, together with on contested catches. He additionally dominates the YAC. At 29 years previous, he nonetheless has loads of time left to be an impression participant for at the very least a couple of extra years.

My private choice is that the Steelers have a look at guys who can get open and create separation. Except for Godwin, that may additionally embody Davante Adams, Keenan Allen, and Cooper Kupp. Adams is the one participant of that bunch who has been largely wholesome the previous couple of seasons, however he’s additionally struggled with drops and contested catches.

Kupp could be costly as he would must be acquired through commerce. He would price draft capital and a reasonably penny to take over some or all of his present contract. In any other case, he sits in a great spot with all of these superior metrics. He’s nonetheless getting open, catching the soccer, and creating YAC fairly nicely.

Adams has acknowledged he want to play in heat climate, however he was the best final season of the large receivers charted right here, and he additionally has acknowledged curiosity in enjoying for Mike Tomlin previously. He could be costly, however a particular improve, although I used to be shocked at his catch statistics within the ultimate chart above.

If the Steelers don’t wish to pursue Godwin, Allen is likely to be the next-best possibility when you contemplate the possible contract measurement. His largest knock is his well being with 13 video games missed during the last three seasons. However when he’s wholesome, he separates nicely and excels in contested-catch eventualities.

Lockett or Metcalf would possibly make extra sense if the Steelers retain Russell Wilson as their quarterback due to their previous chemistry, however the superior metrics don’t paint story for both of them. Metcalf doesn’t separate nicely or carry out nicely in contested-catch conditions. That isn’t mixture, and the Steelers don’t want one other deep burner like Pickens until Wilson sticks round. Particularly at Metcalf’s value level, I’m out.

Slayton could be one of many cheaper and youthful choices, however there’s a motive for his anticipated value level. He was a backside performer in virtually each metric right here apart from yards after the catch and yards per reception. Do the Steelers really want that kind of receiver on this room in the meanwhile?

Cooper was one of many higher receivers within the league only a couple years in the past, however the final two years have been tough. The one space he actually excels in anymore is contested catches. He might be an honest low-cost addition if the Steelers deliver again Wilson. In any other case, he most likely doesn’t make a lot sense.

Rankings

It’s robust to assign a rating in a vacuum when the fact is there are a variety of different components. Who will the quarterback be? Lockett, Metcalf, Slayton, and even Amari Cooper might be bumped up the checklist a bit if Russell Wilson and his moon ball return to Pittsburgh.

Each of the commerce choices are additional down the checklist for me, largely due to what could be required in draft capital to commerce for them in addition to their present contract measurement. Kupp could be among the many high choices if he was a free agent, for instance. Slayton, Cooper, and Lockett are both too much like what the Steelers have already got, or they only wouldn’t transfer the needle sufficient to get enthusiastic about.

Is the juice well worth the squeeze with a few of these value tags?

All that mentioned, right here’s the checklist:

1. Chris Godwin

2. Davante Adams

3. Keenan Allen

4. Cooper Kupp

5. DK Metcalf

6. Darius Slayton

7. Amari Cooper

8. Tyler Lockett