With the confirmation the Steelers are going to try to trade Antonio Brown, the team's need for a replacement is obvious.
After all, you don't just snap your fingers and replace a receiver who has had 100 or more receptions in an NFL-record six straight seasons.
What will be the best way to do that? Certainly, the Steelers have shown they know how to draft receivers, regardless of the round in which those receivers are taken. After all, Brown, considered one of the best receivers in the league, was a sixth-round draft pick in 2010.
The trouble is rookie receivers, as we saw last season with James Washington, can go through some struggles. Even Brown didn't really make a big contribution until late in the 2010 season as a rookie.
That could mean the Steelers look to free agency to supplement their receiving corps. After all, only JuJu Smith-Schuster, Washington and Ryan Switzer are under contract for 2019 if or when Brown is traded.
And given that Smith-Schuster and Switzer both do some of their best work in the slot, that means the team could be in the market for an outside-the-numbers receiver.
That's why, for example, Golden Tate, a player many reference when talking about potential free agents the Steelers could bring in, won't be included on this list. Tate works almost exclusively out of the slot, so adding him to this roster would be redundant. He's simply an older, more expensive, version of Smith-Schuster.
So who can the Steelers target starting March 13, when the free agency period begins? Here are some candidates:
Tyrell Williams, Chargers: At 6-foot-4, 205 pounds, Williams brings excellent size to the equation. He's also a burner, as his 16.3 yards-per-catch career average suggests. But he's been stifled by Keenan Allen and Mike Williams with the Chargers. When Allen was out for the season in 2016, Williams posted 69 catches for 1,059 yards and seven touchdowns. But Williams also won't come cheap. Given some of the contracts handed out last season to receivers -- Sammie Watkins, Marqise Lee -- Williams is going to cost an average of $12 million per year or more to sign. That might be too rich for the Steelers. But he's exactly what they need.
John Brown, Ravens: When Joe Flacco was playing quarterback for the Ravens, Brown was on pace for a 1,000-yard season. Even though he was rarely used once Lamar Jackson took over, Brown still finished with 715 yards on just 42 catches, a healthy 17.0 average. Brown is a speedster and can take the top off a defense. He's also coming off a one-year, $6-million contract. The Steelers might be able to get this done with the 28-year-old for a four-year contract worth around $8 million per year. But Brown is going to have other suitors.
Chris Conley, Chiefs: At 26, Conley is the kind of free agent the Steelers typically like to sign. He's just coming into his own in the league. Despite being about fifth in the pecking order for targets last season with the Chiefs, Conley caught 32 passes for 334 yards and five touchdowns last season. Conley hasn't been used much as a deep threat with Kansas City, but he ran a 4.35-second 40 at the NFL Scouting Combine in 2015. And at 6-foot-2, 213 pounds, he's got good size, as well. Conley won't be overly expensive, either, for a receiver who started 13 games last season for a good team.
Donte Moncrief, Jaguars: The Jaguars badly overpaid for Moncrief last season, giving him a one-year, $9.6-million deal. But he wasn't completely unproductive, catching 48 passes for 668 yards and three scores. Moncrief can be inconsistent, but in his second season in 2015, playing with a healthy Andrew Luck, he caught 64 passes for 733 yards and six scores. He also had seven touchdowns in 2016. The 6-foot-2, 220-pound speedster is a matchup problem. And he'll turn just 26 this offseason.
Dontrelle Inman, Colts: Inman is a guy who always finds a home, but he's also always a guy teams are trying to replace. The 29-year-old has had decent production throughout his career as a No. 3 or 4 receiver, including 28 catches for 304 yards and three scores in nine games -- four starts -- last season for the Colts. Inman, 29, would be a nice, low-priced option who could step in and start, if needed, or play a lesser-defined role.
Kevin White, Bears: I know, I know, White was overdrafted in 2015, when the Bears took him with the seventh pick in the draft. But he also was a legit first-round draft pick. Injuries and inconsistent play from the quarterback position have hurt him. At 6-foot-3, 216 pounds, White has excellent size. And a change of scenery could do the 26-year-old some good. He's got untapped talent. White couldn't be the only receiver to be brought in, but he's worth a roll of the dice on a one-year, prove-it deal.
Breshad Perriman, Browns: How fitting would it be if the Steelers turned Perriman into a starting receiver after he bombed out in Baltimore? A former first-round draft pick, Perriman has talent. He flashed that at times in 2016 with the Ravens and again last season in a short stint with the Browns when he caught 16 passes for 340 yards and two scores down the stretch, once Baker Mayfield was inserted into the starting lineup. Perriman is still just 25, and, if he's over his injuries, could be in the same spot as White. A one-year deal with a talented veteran quarterback could be just what he needs to jump-start his career.
