The Cleveland Browns haven't had the season they were hoping to have and murmurs that Odell Beckham Jr. wants out have begun to surface. If that is the case, Beckham Jr. could make sense for the Pittsburgh Steelers via trade.
First and foremost, it is unlikely that Cleveland chooses to send the All-Pro wide receiver to a division rival. But in today's NFL, anything is possible and seeing John Dorsey try to recoup some draft picks for Beckham Jr. wouldn't be surprising.
While it hasn't been Beckham Jr.'s fault, the dynamic wide receiver hasn't been able to get acclimated in Cleveland's offense. Everyone thought that he would seamlessly fit with the Browns and the team would contend for a Super Bowl.
Instead, the Browns are 5-7 and are unlikely to make the playoffs. Besides Cleveland's disappointing record, Beckham Jr. only has 57 receptions, 805 yards, and two touchdowns.
The Pro-Bowl wide receiver is on pace to finish with career-lows in receptions and touchdowns in seasons that he has started in 11 or more games. Along with his underwhelming numbers, Beckham Jr.'s latest comments about him possibly being traded only ignited the rumors.
No matter what the Browns plan to do with Beckham Jr. after this season, there will undoubtedly be teams calling Dorsey to express interest in his services. At the least, the Steelers should give Dorsey a call to gauge what price it would take to pry the talented wide receiver from the Browns.
During the offseason, Pittsburgh traded Antonio Brown to the Oakland Raiders. Along with Brown, the Steelers allowed Le'Veon Bell to depart in free agency. Those two moves officially ended the ‘Killer B' days in the Steel City.
As a result, JuJu Smith-Schuster was expected to become the go-to wide receiver in Pittsburgh's offense. But with Roethlisberger out for the year and recent injuries for Smith-Schuster, the young pass catcher hasn't had the season he had in mind.
Despite his disappointing campaign, Smith-Schuster is still one of the best up-and-coming wide receivers in the NFL. Besides Smith-Schuster, the Steelers lack a second receiving option on offense.
That is where Beckham Jr. becomes a topic of conversation for the Steelers. Pittsburgh could deploy Beckham Jr. as their No. 1 wide receiver while allowing Smith-Schuster to return to being the No. 2 option.
While playing alongside Brown, Smith-Schuster had the best season of his career in 2018. The young wide receiver hauled in 111 catches for 1,426 yards and seven touchdowns last year with the Steelers.
Without a doubt, it would take quite the package to acquire the gifted pass-catcher. Of course, the Steelers already traded their first-round pick in 2020 to acquire Minkah Fitzpatrick from the Miami Dolphins.
Additonally, the Steelers may want to hold onto their first-round selection in 2021 in case they want to find Roethlisberger's replacement. However, there aren't many times you get a chance to add an electric player like Beckham Jr. to your offense.
Also, the upcoming draft is littered with talent at the wide receiver position. Therefore, the Steelers could very well choose to go through the draft to bolster their receiving corps.
Considering all of that, it wouldn't hurt for Pittsburgh to inquire about Beckham Jr. this offseason.
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