The Pittsburgh Steelers had an unusually active trade deadline last week. General manager Omar Khan, who took over for Kevin Colbert in June, has shown to not be afraid to make aggressive moves. He traded away a talented third-year wide receiver in Chase Claypool, getting 2023 second-round draft pick in return from the Chicago Bears.
Credit: Jordan Schofield/SteelerNation (JSKO_PHOTO Twitter)
This season, Claypool was moved to the slot with the departure of JuJu Smith-Schuster in free agency. It came with mixed results, as he struggled immensely in the first month of the season. While he picked it up the last few weeks before the bye, Khan still felt the need to move on from Claypool. It clearly wasn't Claypool's natural position, which made it a bit of an awkward fit at times. Now, it leaves a hole in the wide receiver room.
Diontae Johnson and George Pickens will continue to be starters and the go-to targets for quarterback Kenny Pickett. Now though, an inexperienced wideout will have to step up in the slot. Steven Sims seems to be the likely starter there now. When speaking to reporters on Monday, he had this to say about having an extended role with Claypool gone via Chris Adamski of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review:
"Everything's the same for me, honestly. I'm getting a bigger role, getting more opportunities to help the team win," Sims said via Adamski. "And that's all I can ask for, just more opportunities. I gotta capitalize on those opportunities."
Steelers WR Steven Sims handles return duties at 2022 training camp in Latrobe. Credit: Jordan Schofield/SteelerNation (JSKO_PHOTO Twitter)
Sims impressed throughout the preseason, particularly in the return game. He wasn’t initially able to make the 53-man roster due to a numbers crunch, but was added to it when rookie Calvin Austin III went on the IR. Austin is now out for the season and Gunner Olszewski got benched from his return duties after he fumbled twice within a few weeks. As a result, Sims now has a large role in this team with the trade of Claypool.
In Week 6, Sims displayed his return skills against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers with an 89-yard kick return. He can make things happen with the ball in his hands, something he'll get to showcase more now. He'll especially have an opportunity to make his mark on the offensive side of the ball now. In his four-year NFL career, Sims has just 63 catches and 574 receiving yards, virtually all of which came in Washington.
Aside from Sims, Olszewski remains on the roster. He may get another chance, particularly on the offensive side of things. Miles Boykin, who has been phenomenal on special teams this season, rounds out the wide receiver room. That leaves head coach Mike Tomlin with just five wideouts on the active roster at the moment, while Cody White is the lone one on the practice squad.
Credit: Jordan Schofield/SteelerNation (JSKO_PHOTO Twitter)
What are your expectations for Sims with Claypool gone? Should he start in the slot, or should the team look elsewhere? Who are you looking forward to watching after the bye week? Are you cheering for Claypool to succeed with the Bears? Share your thoughts and opinions in the comment section below, as well as on our social media sites!
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