The Pittsburgh Steelers will look a bit different in 2019 with the losses of Le'Veon Bell and Antonio Brown on the offense. Therefore, the one issue that the Steelers must fix before training camp is finding ways to replace Brown's production on offense.
The Steelers already have James Conner, Jaylen Samuels, and Benny Snell to help replace Bell. This offseason, the Steelers added Donte Moncrief in hopes he can help fill the void left by the departure of Brown.
Also, JuJu Smith-Schuster figures to move into the number one receiver spot in 2o19. His numbers should see a rise as a result. Although, the young wideout will receive more attention than he's ever gotten with the absence of Brown on the offense.
Contrary to popular belief among Steelers fans, it's not going to be easy to get the same production out of any receiver that Brown gave them. To put things into perspective, Brown averaged 114 receptions, 1,524 yards, and 11 touchdowns in the past six seasons in Pittsburgh.
Those numbers are historically great and won't be effortless from anyone on the offense. That doesn't mean that the Steelers can't find ways to restore that production with multiple guys though.
Before training camps begin, Pittsburgh will need to have an idea of who will be their second receiver in the offense. After all, Mike Tomlin knows this and likely had solutions to the problem after Brown was traded.
First, it's likely that Moncrief gets the nod to get the first shot at winning the second receiver spot. Moncrief comes from the Jacksonville Jaguars, where he had 48 catches for 668 yards and three touchdowns.
Before his one-year stint with the Jaguars, Moncrief spent four seasons with Andrew Luck and the Indianapolis Colts. With the Colts, Moncrief was mainly used in the red zone as a big-bodied target.
The physicality that Moncrief possesses could allow him to see more targets from Ben Roethlisberger this year. Although, Moncrief isn't going to replace Brown's missing production alone.
Along with Moncrief, the Steelers have James Washington and Ryan Switzer to help in the Steelers aerial attack. Washington is entering his second season in the NFL after Pittsburgh selected him in the second round of the 2018 NFL Draft.
The young wideout struggled in his rookie season, having just 16 receptions, 217 yards, and one touchdown in 2018. In addition, he received some criticism for a dropped pass he had in their Week 11 loss to the Denver Broncos.
The criticism came from Roethlisberger on a radio show after the loss that week. Uniquely, Washington has said he has grown from that situation. The second-year wide receiver could be asked to have a large role in the offense if he's ready.
Lastly, Switzer also figures to see some reps on offense and could actually vault Washington as the slot receiver. As a matter of fact, Switzer ended up seeing the field on offense at the end of the 2o018 season.
Of course, Switzer was acquired by the Steelers prior to the trade deadline in 2018 from the Oakland Raiders. He was brought in to be a special teams player but ended up becoming a contributor on offense.
Therefore, we could see the dynamic receiver step into a key role on the offense in 2019. Since coming into the NFL in 2017, Switzer has struggled to find a role but he may have found his calling in Pittsburgh.
Furthermore, Switzer perfectly fits as a slot receiver for Roethlisberger and the Steelers offense. His small-build allows him to quickly get in and out of routes—making him a dangerous threat within the offense.
Last season, Switzer saw a small-sized workload as a receiver with the Steelers. Nonetheless, he made the most out of his opportunities—catching 36 passes for 253 yards. His ability to make plays in the return game—like Brown once did—makes him a viable option.
Coming into 2019, the Steelers have a few issues that need to be addressed. After all, after missing the playoffs in 2018, it shows that they have some problems that need solving. However, finding Brown's replacement on offense is the one issue that needs to be fixed before training camp.
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