Steelers Star Ripped After Seahawks Trade

The biggest move of the Pittsburgh Steelers’ offseason was the splash it made on the perimeter. Trading a second-round pick for Seattle Seahawks receiver DK Metcalf locked in a long-term contributor at a premium position and provided the insulation to deal George Pickens to the Dallas Cowboys later in the spring.

The Steelers are in a similar spot offensively. They don’t have a franchise quarterback and have just one above-average receiver. Still, Metcalf is an upgrade, and his skill set keeps the offense alive downfield.

Not everybody is sold on the move. Now that he’s out of Seattle, some of his former fans have taken the opportunity to sell themselves on the trade.

On “The Brock & Salk Show,” former Seahawks receiver Bryan Walters ripped the Steelers’ new star after the March trade.

"I've been very vocal about kind of my thoughts on DK as a wide receiver... and you know, maybe I'll be a little nice I guess, but slightly overrated,” Walters said. “I think he's gonna do well in Pittsburgh, but at the same time I just think that they really revamped this wide receiver room to fit that Kubiak scheme and a lot of guys that are better route runners and guys that just kinda complement each other. I think JSN and Cooper Kupp are gonna be so fun to watch together."

In fairness to Walters, Metcalf is a little overrated. He’s still an upgrade over Pickens, but the gap is greater in perception than production. Running a 4.33-second 40-yard dash at 6-3, 228 garnered a ton of pre-draft hype. His game is predicated on splash plays that end up on SportsCenter. It’s a recipe for outsized recognition, but more importantly, it doesn’t preclude him from making a massive impact in Pittsburgh.

Further, Kupp is a better fit in Klint Kubiak’s offense than Metcalf. In a wide zone offense, there’s less of an emphasis on dynamic field stretchers and more attention to detail-oriented receivers who can block and win horizontally as much as vertically.

Walters isn’t necessarily off-base in his comments. But it’s extra fuel to the fire, and making a strong first impression would go a long way in getting back at the team that traded him. In Week 2, Pittsburgh will host Seattle and give Metcalf a chance at revenge.