Diontae Johnson Replacements: Four Steelers Free Agent WR Fits

The Pittsburgh Steelers officially traded wide receiver Diontae Johnson on Tuesday and released Allen Robinson II last Friday. And now, that means that there will be options for the team to sign in free agency, but who should they target this offseason to fill the void left at WR, even if the NFL Draft seems to help out at the spot, too likely? Here are a few names that the team could look at:

Bengals WR Tyler Boyd

Boyd, in the past, has talked about the culture in Pittsburgh, and has even bit back against his hometown team several times. In Cincinnati, Boyd is the slot counterpart to Higgins and Ja’Marr Chase in the three-headed monster. He has played the last eight seasons with them. He has made 513 catches for 7,000 yards and 31 touchdowns during that time and has served as a mainstay during the franchise’s rebuild in the earlier part of his career through their more recent success.

A steady-handed receiver with crisp routes, Boyd is not a burner. But he is a hard-nosed player that is smooth. He will make catches in the tough areas of the field, and he is the type of veteran presence that the team could try to add to the room without Robinson. With Arthur Smith’s offense, it needs a slot receiver that can work over the middle of the field and compete as a blocker. Boyd certainly checks those boxes.

He might be a little more expensive than some others on this list, but he is a Pittsburgh native and would undoubtedly give the team two legitimate receivers that would have to be accounted for at all times. He’s different from some of the other options on this list, but his ability to stretch the field horizontally makes him a threat when paired with George Pickens.

Cincinnati Bengals WR Tyler Boyd against the Pittsburgh Steelers, Sept. 25, 2021 – Ed Thompson / Steelers Now

Vikings WR K.J. Osborn

This is a different type of player for the team to go after, and will not fit with anyone else on this list. K.J. Osborn is not nearly as good of a blocker as the other guys on this list, but what Osborn does bring to the table is tenacity in that part of the game while adding in smooth route running on top of it.

Osborn’s ability to stretch the field vertically, especially on play-action shots, makes him an intriguing fit in Smith’s offense. In fact, a lot of his big plays came directly from condensed splits where he was able to get vertical and take the top of the defense. There’s some real nuance to his route running that has to be appreciated. And his fearlessness over the middle of the field and in traffic has to be commended. He is a solid No. 3 wide receiver, and given the likelihood the team dips into the draft pool, that probably works out just fine.

Osborn fits the type of mold that Smith looks for in his third receivers that can stretch the field. For one, he comes from an offense with the Shanahan tree since he played under Kevin O’Connell’s guidance. The Vikings were up there as a team that did lots of condensed splits, and a guy like Osborn was able to fit into that so well because he was a strong-handed possession receiver who gave it his all everyday.

Falcons WR Mack Hollins

Hollins joined the Falcons as a free agent last spring and did not have a great season, catching 18 passes for 251 yards after making 57 grabs for 690 and four scores with the Raiders the year before despite finishing second among wide receivers in targets.

A big body (6-foot-4, 221 pounds), Hollins can play inside and outside, and could represent a replacement for Robinson. Hollins feels like a strong potential fit.

It’s not hard to see why that would be the case. One of the things that makes Smith’s offense fit in with the Sean McVay tree, or at least parts of it, is that he has some of the shortest splits in the league. Wide receivers will sometimes be on the hip on tackles or tight ends. That’s the reality of it, but it’s an interesting philosophy when done right. Smith attacks defenses from the inside-out rather than outside-in like most spread formations will do. That does not mean that both philosophies can not work, but McVay and Kyle Shanahan are on this wave now. They run bunch sets, stacked looks, and work out of these condensed splits. No team ran more plays out of condensed sets than the 49ers, but the Rams and Falcons are right behind them.

He has experience in Smith’s system, has been someone who can win over the top of defenses, and for his best trait, he is a fantastic blocker. Hollins can add special teams value, too.

Hollins is the least flashy option of the guys listed, but he represents a cost-effective option that plays an extremely important role in the Smith offense. That blocking receiver is the straw that stirs the drink in this system. So, simply put, they better get someone who can move like bodies in the run game at receiver. Hollins checks that. They can draft someone else in the NFL Draft to round out the wide receiver corps. But they might want to shoot a bit higher than that.

Lions WR Josh Reynolds

The last name that I feel compelled to add to this list in Detroit’s Josh Reynolds. Why? Because, much like Hollins and Brown, he was recently in a heavy run-blocking offense in Ben Johnson’s scheme and has the chops to get after it in the run game. If you can find players who can do and be a strong, physical body over the middle of the field, they are a fit for this offense. Reynolds has some sauce on his routes and can get open on those over routes and dig routes.

In fact, that was his main route tree throughout his time in the offense and Jared Goff hit him on those exact two routes more than I can count. He fits this offense like a glove, and his toughness and productivity of play action speak to his skillset to make tough hands catches in those tight windows over the middle of the field. He feels like one of the best options of this group that can give the team a high floor while adding physicality in the run game.