Steelers writer believes team should trade for Pro Bowl wide receiver

The Pittsburgh Steelers need to acquire some more weapons for Russell Wilson, and they may want to consider trading for an old teammate of his.

Alan Saunders of Steelers Now thinks the Steelers should pursue Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Tyler Lockett, specifically noting at that they should wait until after June 1 to do so.

“Lockett just restructured his deal with the Seahawks this offseason, which would make a pre-June 1 trade costly to Seattle,” Saunders explained. “If they traded Lockett now, that would incur a $27.8 million dead cap hit and cost the Seahawks an additional $8.9 million in cap space on top of what is slated to cost. But if they waited until after June 1, a Lockett trade would only have a $13.9 million dead cap hit this season, while saving Seattle’s cap in 2024 $5 million in room. To the Steelers, Lockett would be a bargain, with just $4.67 million in guaranteed salary and $340,000 in roster bonuses.”

Lockett would certainly be a major addition for Pittsburgh and would provide the team with some much-needed depth behind George Pickens, who is currently the only proven talent in the club’s receiving corps.

The Steelers traded fellow wide out Diontae Johnson to the Carolina Panthers last month, leaving Calvin Austin III as Pittsburgh’s probable No. 2 receiver at the moment.

It seems very hard to envision the Steelers entering next season with that type of depth chart at the position, so they will almost certainly be adding a receiver, whether that be via trade or through the NFL Draft. They could also make a free-agent signing, although Pittsburgh does not appear all that interested in what’s left of the wide receiver market at the moment.

Lockett was Wilson’s teammate for seven seasons in Seattle and is coming off of a 2023 campaign in which he caught 79 passes for 894 yards and five touchdowns. Prior to last year, Lockett had registered four straight 1,000-yard seasons, topping out at 1,175 yards in 2021. That happened to be Wilson’s final year with the Seahawks.

Lockett is adamant on wanting to remain in Seattle, but trade rumors have been swirling around him for quite some time.

We’ll see if the Steelers are able to swing a deal for Lockett—or some other wide receiver—as the offseason progresses.