The Pittsburgh Steelers made a trade with the Los Angeles Rams and acquired Allen Robinson for a seventh-round pick and one-third of his $15 million salary that is due in 2023. It is a surprising move that has received a mixed reaction on both social media and from Steelers insiders. The deal is basically done, so as fans, it is time to get on board because the train is leaving with or without us.
Maya Giron / Post-Gazette
Steelers general manager, Omar Khan. | Maya Giron / Post-Gazette
Omar Khan trained at the feet of Kevin Colbert, the wide receiver whisperer, so we should trust that trading for a receiver coming off two subpar injury-riddled seasons for a reduced price is the right move. The division rival Baltimore Ravens paid Odell Beckham Jr to triple what the Steelers will pay to lure their quarterback to at least show up before game 10 in 2023. Was it the right call?
Andrew Fillipponi who cohosts the PM Team w/Poni & Mueller is typically apoplectic about the addition of Robinson versus some of the other options that were seemingly available to the Steelers during the offseason.
Every time I watched Allen Robinson last year he looked like he was running in slow motion. I want to like the deal. Pickett needed a vet WR. And the dude was a stud back in the day. But sometimes you get what you pay for. Seems low risk low reward.
— Andrew Fillipponi (@ThePoniExpress) April 18, 2023
Both Robinson and Beckham were drafted in 2014. Fans are inclined to believe Beckham is the better player because of his great catches while playing with Eli Manning and his Super Bowl performance with the Rams two seasons ago before getting hurt. Robinson is no picture of health but shockingly he stacks up very well against Beckham throughout his career.
Mark Kaboly, who writes for The Athletic, initially took to Twitter to pan the deal but after terms were disclosed his position evolved and he praised the deal.
Basically no risk so you can’t really complain about the deal from Steelers' end. Actually, a pretty damn good haul for the price. https://t.co/qaa2ROUXT9
— Mark Kaboly (@MarkKaboly) April 18, 2023
Robinson has more catches in one season 102 to 101 and his top catch season was in 2020 versus 2016 for Beckham. The Ravens’ new number-one option had 1,367 in 2016 but Robinson had 1,400 yards in his top season.
Single-season touchdowns you ask? Robinson’s best was 14 while Beckham’s was 13. Since 2017 when they both started losing time to injury you can make the argument either way about who is better. The big difference is that Robinson will be the number three or four option for Pickett, and Beckham is being counted on to singlehandedly prove Lamar Jackson is a great passing quarterback.
Gary A. Vasquez / USA TODAY Sports
Steelers Allen Robinson
Pat McAfee chimed in during his extremely popular podcast and McAfee and his crew in general liked the deal but questioned if Matt Canada was the right person to maximize his potential. The biggest coup was of course that Adam Jones was a guest host on Tuesday and responded with expletives about the Steelers acquiring Robinson. If you are not familiar with the McAfee podcast, take caution that the clip below contains strong language.
The Pittsburgh Steelers are expected to acquire Allen Robinson from the Rams#PMSLive pic.twitter.com/2pbKHqolnZ
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) April 18, 2023
NFL observers often credit Pittsburgh as the best organization at evaluating wide receiver talent and instead of drafting one of the top prospects, they have clearly signaled to the rest of the NFL that the 2023 draft class is buyer beware. Last season they plucked George Pickens from the second round and he looks like the best wide receiver they have drafted in years and that is saying something. This season they took a flyer on a 30-year-old former Pro Bowler to improve the receiver room on a one-year deal.
Steelers GM Omar Khan Is Redefining The Steeler Way For The 21st Century
Khan has been more aggressive in one season as the Steelers' general manager than Colbert ever was during his tenure. He has traded multiple times with draft picks involved, signed and then traded for former Pro Bowl players over the age of 30. Patrick Peterson and Robinson are calculated gambles by Khan that both still have enough left in the tank to win now.
He has leaned on Andy Weidl to aggressively rebuild the offensive and defensive lines in free agency and now as the draft approaches it has become absolutely crystal clear what the Steelers will do in the NFL Draft.
Maya Giron Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Steelers Omar Khan and Mike Tomlin
They will completely surprise everyone because Khan is anything but predictable. He is going to surprise and hopefully delight Steelers fans for years to come with his moves to improve the team. The coaching staff has a lot of new clay to work with and more is coming. Mike Tomlin has his work cut out for him because if trades and free agency are any indicators, the new sheriff in town is not going to be patient when it comes to results.
What do you think Steeler Nation? Are you happy with this trade? Please comment below or on my Twitter @thebubbasq.
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