Let's fast forward to a week from now. Antonio Brown is no longer on the Steelers' roster.
That's OK, you say. JuJu Smith-Schuster led the Steelers in receptions and receiving yardage last season, anyway. He was, after all, the team MVP.
That's all well and good. But Smith-Schuster was the Steelers' No. 2 receiver. Smith-Schuster knew it. The Steelers knew it. And, most important, opposing teams knew it. With Brown no longer around, Smith-Schuster will have to take on that mantle. That's fine. He showed throughout 2018 he's capable of handling that kind of workload. Witness his 166 targets last season, only two fewer than Brown.
But is he capable of handling the extra attention he'll receive from opposing teams?
That's where things can get tricky.
In the one game in which Smith-Schuster didn't have Brown around to at least help even out the defensive attention -- the regular season finale against the Bengals -- he managed just five catches for 37 yards on 10 targets. He did score, but it was obvious the additional attention made things tough on the young receiver.
At just 22 years old -- many of the receivers at last week's NFL Scouting Combine were older -- Smith-Schuster still has plenty of room for growth. He's nowhere near a complete package yet. That offers some hope.
But who replaces Smith-Schuster as the No. 2 target?
James Washington will likely do so in name. But even though he often put on a show at training camp and sometimes in practice, asking Washington to go from his production last year (16 receptions for 217 yards) to being even a 60-catch guy would be quite a jump. And the only other receiver on the roster with NFL experience once Brown is gone is Ryan Switzer. While he had 36 receptions last season, which was a nice surprise, his 7.0 yards-per-catch average doesn't exactly scream No. 2 receiver.
Vance McDonald could actually be the player currently on the roster who benefits the most. McDonald is an excellent threat in the receiving game. He's the most athletic tight end the Steelers have had on their roster since Heath Miller circa 2012. He had 50 catches for 610 yards and four touchdowns in 2018. But he's certainly capable of more. The issue, however, is that he's also proven to be a guy who gets nicked up because of the devil-may-care attitude with which he plays the game. He goes looking for contact, and that can lend itself to injuries.
The idea for the Steelers will be to add a veteran receiver in free agency and then again in the draft.
Former Ravens receiver John Brown would be the perfect deep-threat compliment to Smith-Schuster. The addition of Brown would allow the Steelers to play Smith-Schuster in the slot in three-receiver sets, with Washington joining Brown on the outside. But he's likely to be too expensive. Same goes for the Chargers' Tyrell Williams.
Kansas City's Chris Conley could be a nice add in that respect. He'll be cheaper and if Washington beats him out to play in the majority of two-receiver sets, so be it. Same goes for guys such as Dontrelle Inman, Ryan Grant or Donte Moncrief, some of the other outside receivers available. Players such as Golden Tate or Adam Humphries don't fit as well because they are slot receivers. And the Steelers have two of those in Smith-Schuster and Switzer.
There's also the chance the Steelers' veteran receiver is still on someone else's roster. There will be players released as this offseason continues to unfold.
But there's little doubt getting rid of Brown will open up a huge hole in the Steelers' lineup.
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