Omar Khan isn't quite done upgrading the Steelers' roster ahead of the NFL Draft.
The Steelers acquired Allen Robinson in a trade with the Rams, which became official Friday. The trade was pending a physical, and the Rams granted the Steelers permission to bring Robinson in for one on Wednesday.
The Steelers will also acquire the 251st pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. In return, the Steelers will send the 234th pick to Los Angeles. In addition, the Rams will pay $10.25 million of Robinson's salary while the Steelers pay the remaining $5 million in 2023, broken down into a $1.165 million base salary and a $3.835 million signing bonus.
In 2024, Robinson's base salary will be set at $10 million, which is down from $15 million, according to NFL Network.
Robinson, 29, gives the Steelers another veteran presence in the receiver room, and gives Kenny Pickett another weapon in the passing game. Outside of Diontae Johnson, there isn't another receiver on the roster with a healthy blend of experience and productivity. The Penn State product made the Pro Bowl in 2015, catching 80 passes for 1,400 yards and led the NFL with 14 touchdown receptions.
Robinson's turned in two more 1,000-yard seasons since then, both of which with the Bears in 2019 and 2020. And, in. both of those seasons, Robinson caught 98 and 102 passes, respectively.
The Rams signed Robinson to a three-year, $46.5-million contract prior to last season. Robinson was limited to only 10 games, undergoing season-ending surgery on a foot injury. He had 33 catches for 339 yards and three touchdowns before his season came to an end.
Injuries have limited Robinson's availability in the last two seasons, and an ACL injury in the opener of the 2017 season kept him out all year. However, if the Steelers are comfortable with the results of the physical, they will add a much needed veteran presence to support Johnson and George Pickens, who will look to build off a promising rookie season. This also takes away another roster need ahead of the draft next week, which has been a key emphasis for Khan throughout the offseason.
Before the Robinson trade is finalized, the Steelers have approximately $9.77 million in cap space, according to Spotrac. Restructuring T.J. Watt's contract can create as much as $12 million in cap space, though the Rams eating the bulk of the salary really helps the Steelers' cap situation.
Chris' Take: This is a bit of a risky move. Robinson's recent injury history is a bit of a red flag. But, the Steelers needed to deepen the receiver position this offseason, and this move absolutely does that. And, the reward could be quite high if Robinson is healthy, especially with the Rams responsible for more than $10 million of his salary. A trio of Johnson, Pickens and Robinson, in addition to Pat Freiermuth at tight end, is a good mix of weapons for Pickett in his second season.
And, if there's anything a team needs in today's NFL, it's more firepower -- especially when the Steelers have to compete with the likes of Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen and Joe Burrow in the AFC.
