The Steelers receive not just the 178th overall pick in the draft, but cornerback Donte Jackson.
This is a bizarre turn of events that has to make one think Pittsburgh is trying to sign a top-tier wide receiver in the free agent class. It’s difficult to deny that Calvin Ridley is rumored to have a dark horse team involved, and general manager Omar Khan may be considering him. On a Tuesday night, the NFL community is a little taken aback by the news of the Johnson trade.
This leaves George Pickens and Calvin Austin III as the only two contributors from 2023 set to be no the 2024 roster. Pittsburgh isn’t just eyeing the position up in the draft in April. Something behind the scenes is likely going on. Regardless, Khan is making big move after big move as the new league year prepares to get under way. He has added a quarterback, In addition to awarding a premier route runner and the biggest free agency contract in franchise history, they also threw away punters and cornerbacks.
Many others thought Johnson was worth at least a second-round selection. Khan chose to forego more draft cash in favor of a cornerback who could be able to cover Joey Porter Jr. Although the fact that they only received a sixth-round pick may annoy some fans, cornerback was a need as well. If there hadn’t been a strategy in place to make a trade, Khan and company would not have found the void this leaves at wide receiver appealing.
Johnson was entering the final year of his contract with the Steelers and the reason this may be a big-time question mark is not just because of the lack of depth in the room. If he were to play in Pittsburgh in 2024 and move on elsewhere to sign a big contract, it could have led to the Steelers getting a much better compensatory pick than the sixth round.
Steelers’ Khan Making It Known He Is Not Interested In How Things Used To Work In Pittsburgh
Khan lingered for a while behind Kevin Colbert in the wings. Since the 2016 campaign, he has seen the squad fail to win a postseason game. Currently, efforts are being made everywhere to get rid of Johnson, a possible distraction, as well as to target talent across the board. In fact, Khan might just be getting started. It’s not finished yet. Everything is being put into action according to his prearranged plan. Once more, the “Khan Artist” delivers. If the money was sufficient for one of the top route runners in the whole NFL, only time will tell.
Are you pleased with Johnson’s trade to the Steelers?
