Steelers Have Shown Interest in $33 Million Wide Receiver: Insider
The Pittsburgh Steelers are leading the way in the AFC North with a 4-2 record through six weeks, and while they are fresh off a surprising loss to the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 7, there are still a lot of reasons to feel good about the team’s performance so far this season. However, it’s clear that there are some areas of need the front office could be looking to address ahead of the trade deadline.
One such area is the wide receiver, where a No. 2 option has failed to emerge behind DK Metcalf to this point. With several players expected to be on the market ahead of the upcoming deadline, reports have indicated that the Steelers are showing interest in star Las Vegas Raiders wide receiver Jakobi Meyers.
Steelers Exploring Potential Jakobi Meyers Trade
Over the offseason, Pittsburgh swung a massive trade with the Seattle Seahawks for wide receiver DK Metcalf, seemingly giving them a solid tandem at wide receiver with George Pickens also in town. Pickens ended up getting traded to the Dallas Cowboys, though, and guys like Calvin Austin III and Roman Wilson have struggled to step up and produce alongside Metcalf.
That could lead to a potential deal for Meyers, who has been viewed as a trade target all season long. With Meyers entering the final year of his contract with the Raiders, he wanted a new deal that he did not get during the offseason, leading to him requesting a trade before the start of the season. While he has continued playing for Las Vegas, he still wants to get dealt before the upcoming deadline.
The Steelers need help at wide receiver, which makes them an obvious potential landing spot for Meyers should the Raiders decide to unload him. According to NFL insider Jeremy Fowler, Meyers is just one of several wide receiver trade targets that Pittsburgh has checked in on with the deadline drawing near.
“Pittsburgh, they are scouring the earth for wide receiver help, they’re looking around,” Fowler said on “SportsCenter.” “Las Vegas has Jakobi Meyers as an option … There could be a receiver moved at the deadline. Pittsburgh could be involved in those conversations.”
Should the Steelers Trade for Jakobi Meyers?
GettyLas Vegas Raiders wide receiver Jakobi Meyers.
Despite playing in the Raiders’ abysmal offense, Meyers has still managed to put up decent numbers through six games, catching 29 passes for 329 yards. On paper, he’d be a solid complement for the big-play threat that Metcalf is, as Meyers excels at working out of the slot and getting open on short-to-intermediate routes.
If Meyers is up for grabs, the Steelers would be foolish not to try to get a deal done for him. Bringing him to town wouldn’t only give Rodgers another reliable option in the passing game, but it would also take some of the attention off of Metcalf from opposing secondaries. He may be a somewhat pricy option, but after putting together an aggressive offseason, swinging a deal for Meyers seems like a real possibility with the trade deadline just over a week away.
Kyle Dugger Absence vs. Browns Strains Patriots Secondary
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — With their Week 8 matchup against the Cleveland Browns set to kick off at Gillette Stadium, the New England
The Patriots (5-2) enter this matchup on the heels of a dominant 31-13 victory over the Tennessee Titans at Nissan Stadium. Cleveland (1-5) also won its Week 7 contest against the Miami Dolphins by a score of 31-6 at Huntington Bank Field.
With just over an hour until the 1:00 p.m. ET kickoff, the Patriots and Browns have released their lists of inactives:
PATRIOTS INACTIVES:
S Kyle Dugger
LB Caleb Murphy
WR Efton Chism, III
DE Eric Gregory
DE Keion White
G Caedan Wallace
QB Tommy DeVito (3rd QB)
What it Means for the Patriots:
Dugger entered the weekend as questionable for Week 8 with a knee injury. The Lenoir-Rhyne product did not participate the the Pats final practice of the week and was the lone Patriot to be listed on their ultimate injury and practice participation report.
This season, Dugger has appeared in all seven games [making four starts] while compiling 17 total tackles. Due to his preseason and early-season struggles, the former Pats’ team captain has been the subject of both trade and release rumors — the former of which are expected to continue up to the NFL’s
Throughout his five-plus seasons in Foxborough, Dugger has appeared in 81 regular season games, making 69 starts. He also started his only playoff appearance in 2021. The Decatur, Georgia native has compiled 441 total tackles, nine interceptions and two fumble recoveries, while scoring three defensive touchdowns. His extensive knowledge of the Patriots playbook made him the logical choice to serve as their starter with veteran Jaylinn Hawkins being sidelined for the past two games with a hamstring injury.
Despite having just been signed by the Patriots on Oct. 15, defensive back Richie Grant’s elevation from the practice squad may indicate that he is likely to inherit some of the reps normally allotted to Dugger. The veteran safety was signed by the San Francisco 49ers as an unrestricted free agent this past offseason but was released prior to the start of the season. Throughout his four seasons in the NFL, the 6’0” 200-pound defensive back has played in 67 games with 33 starts and has accumulated 264 total tackles, three sacks, three interceptions, 17 passes-defensed and 11 special teams tackles.
The Patriots may also turn to second-year defensive back Dell Pettus, perhaps the more-likely choice to receive Dugger’s reps. Pettus has logged 10 total tackles, one forced fumble and one run-stuff in reserve duty this season.
BROWNS INACTIVES:
QB Shedeur Sanders
CB Jarrick Bernard-Converse
S Damontae Kazee
RB Raheim Sanders
G Zack Zinter
T Cornelius Lucas
DT Adin Huntington
