History Says Steelers Will Fill WR Role From Within

The Pittsburgh Steelers have been the center of the trade universe all offseason. There have been countless articles written about the Steelers' pursuit of San Francisco 49ers receiver Brandon Aiyuk. One report even said there was a deal in place during the NFL Draft that fell through last minute.

Despite all that, NFL Insider Albert Breer feels tat first and foremost, the 49ers will ultimately keep Aiyuk.

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"I think they will get Aiyuk there over the next couple of months,” Breer wrote. “Even if things seem bleak now.”

Many believe that a trade is imminent and the Steelers will land Aiyuk in a blockbuster trade, however, Breer points to history to diffuse those rumors.

"The Pittsburgh Steelers really don’t go outside the organization to fill that position," he wrote. "Don Looney was the last player to be Pittsburgh’s leading receiver in any single season who wasn’t homegrown, and that was during World War II. They draft and develop, sometimes to a fault, at that spot."

To be honest, that’s quite a history. 80+ years of developing your own players isn’t a bad track record. The Steelers selected Roman Wilson in the third round this year, and hope that they can develop him into a “Hines Ward-type player”

A lot can happen in the next two months, and you can never count out general manager Omar Khan.

The Steelers, and their fans, are likely still hoping that Aiyuk will be dressed in the gold and black next year, but if not, they will roll with what they got.