Steelers LOVE Tee Higgins

[hawaiiansteel]

[Terrapin]

Justin Jefferson is perhaps the only other WR in the league who would be #1 in Cincy over Chase, Higgins would be on 20+ other teams. That said, better to draft WRs, especially on a team that doesn’t use them very much.

Higgins will end up in KC somehow.

What were Higgins numbers without Chase in the lineup? I honestly don't know. I just never saw him as a big play type of guy, and considered him more like Aiyuk, Godwin, etc

[NorthCoast]

What were Higgins numbers without Chase in the lineup? I honestly don't know. I just never saw him as a big play type of guy, and considered him more like Aiyuk, Godwin, etc

The Steelers rarely pay their WR1 the kind of money Higgins will command. I don't see them paying $30M for a WR2. Unless they plan on trading Pickens and Higgins becomes WR1.... which, he is not. He doesn't get separation vs man, and his contested catch rate is 50%. He is not special.

[Joel Buchsbaum]

We could bid on him, just remember he is UBER productive because Joe Burrow is throwing him the ball.

[ikestops85]

He also had QBs Desmond Ridder and Taylor Heinicke. In 2024 he had a veteran Kirk Cousins. It might not have been all on Smith not liking receivers.

Smith was the Steelers OC in 2024 so how could he have coached Cousins in Atlanta?

[WindyCitySteel]

The Steelers rarely pay their WR1 the kind of money Higgins will command. I don't see them paying $30M for a WR2. Unless they plan on trading Pickens and Higgins becomes WR1.... which, he is not. He doesn't get separation vs man, and his contested catch rate is 50%. He is not special.

Nonsense, he’s a legit #1 who happens to be on the same team as the best WR in the game. Easily #1 in Pittsburgh, head and shoulders above Pickens.

“Not special"

[WindyCitySteel]

What were Higgins numbers without Chase in the lineup? I honestly don't know. I just never saw him as a big play type of guy, and considered him more like Aiyuk, Godwin, etc

Rookie year with a rookie Burrow and bad team, 67 catches, 908 yards, 6 TD.

In 2022 when Chase missed 4 games, Higgins had 26 catches, 371 yards, 2 TD.

Bigger concern besides the cost is that he has missed 10 games the past two seasons.

[WindyCitySteel]

Seriously, are some of you guys thinking of Tyler Boyd?

[steeler_fan_in_t.o.]

Smith was the Steelers OC in 2024 so how could he have coached Cousins in Atlanta?

The "he" in question was Drake London. The previous post that I responded to said that London was a non-factor in the 2023 offense, but my response was that one difference (aside from a new coach) was the QB, Cousins.

[hackjam]

He also had QBs Desmond Ridder and Taylor Heinicke. In 2024 he had a veteran Kirk Cousins. It might not have been all on Smith not liking receivers.

And interestingly enough it looks like Smith was right about Jonnu Smith getting reps over Kyle Pitts, even though he was getting roasted for it at the time. He got kind of screwed by a bad situation in Atlanta and never got the chance to get a QB. Not that I think he's the next Andy Reid or anything but he has had very little offensive talent to work with since 2020.

[hawaiiansteel]

Bigger concern besides the cost is that he has missed 10 games the past two seasons.

Yes, durability and being able to stay healthy are the biggest concerns with Tee Higgins.

[steeler_fan_in_t.o.]

And interestingly enough it looks like Smith was right about Jonnu Smith getting reps over Kyle Pitts, even though he was getting roasted for it at the time. He got kind of screwed by a bad situation in Atlanta and never got the chance to get a QB. Not that I think he's the next Andy Reid or anything but he has had very little offensive talent to work with since 2020.

Yes, and the other thing is that we always label coordinators' system based on what they do in a situation instead of it maybe being what that situation dictated. Example is Smith with the Titans. He had Derrick Henry and a QB in Tannehill. Of course he was a run heavy offense. Does that mean that this is his system, or could it be that only an idiot would put that team on the arm of the QB instead of the legs of Henry?

[Northern_Blitz]

Yes, and the other thing is that we always label coordinators' system based on what they do in a situation instead of it maybe being what that situation dictated. Example is Smith with the Titans. He had Derrick Henry and a QB in Tannehill. Of course he was a run heavy offense. Does that mean that this is his system, or could it be that only an idiot would put that team on the arm of the QB instead of the legs of Henry?

And I think he had 2x 1k WRs when he had 2 good WRs.

Hopefully that's something we can pull off if we end up with two NFL caliber WRs by the end of the offseason.