Steelers Now
Here is why a trade for New Orleans Saints wide receiver Chris Olave would and wouldn’t make sense for the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Rumors surfaced on Friday that the Pittsburgh Steelers have discussed the possibility of trading for New Orleans Saints wide receiver Chris Olave. Trading for Olave seems like a move the Steelers should be obviously interested in, but here’s why it would and wouldn’t make sense for them.
There’s no arguing that Pittsburgh has an obvious need at wide receiver after trading George Pickens to the Dallas Cowboys earlier this offseason. Outside of DK Metcalf, who the team just acquired in March, the wide receiver room is quite underwhelming.
Veteran Robert Woods leads the inexperienced group, which also includes Calvin Austin III, Roman Wilson, Scotty Miller, Ben Skowronek, Brandon Johnson, Lance McCutcheon and Roc Taylor. So Olave would immediately restore what they lost in Pickens, and arguably then some.
The 24-year-old has been very impressive through the first three years of his NFL career, recording 191 catches for 2,565 yards and 10 touchdowns.
However, Olave would come at a risk, too. He has had a myriad of concussions throughout his football career.
Olave missed one game with a concussion in Week 6 last season, returned, and then suffered another concussion in Week 9 that cost him the rest of his season. It was the fourth concussion of his professional career and fifth since starting college.
Olave’s lengthy injury history would likely result in a discounted price for the Steelers, but that’s the exact reason why it would be a bad time for the Saints to try and sell him.
New Orleans does seem to be entering a rebuild following the retirement of quarterback Derek Carr and new head coach hire of Kellen Moore, but Olave is still young enough to still be a part of the team’s future even if it isn’t planning to be competitive for a few years.
The most likely route to Olave leaving the Saints would be if he were to make things ugly, and he has shown no signs of unhappiness thus far.
So while Pittsburgh’s interested in Olave makes sense, a trade for him doesn’t for both sides, leaving its answer at wide receiver up in the air.
This article originally appeared on Steelers Now: Why a Chris Olave Trade Would, Wouldn’t Make Sense for Steelers
