Steelers’ JuJu Smith-Schuster trade could improve Titans WR group

Steelers’ wideout JuJu Smith-Schuster trade could improve Titans WR group

There is no question that the Tennessee Titans need to find an answer for their wide receiver problems. The Titans have three receivers that can be relied on and past that there isn’t much to get excited about. AJ Brown seems to be locked in for a huge sophomore season. Corey Davis will try to prove himself in a contract year. Lastly, Adam Humphries will look to continue to be Mr. Reliable. So, could a trade for JuJu Smith-Schuster be the right move?

Harrison Graham of Chat Sports answered a Titans fan’s question regarding a trade between the Titans and Steelers involving JuJu Smith-Schuster and Corey Davis during a YouTube video.

The Titans could look to sign a wide receiver in free agency, but a more interesting option is trading for Pittsburgh Steelers star wideout JuJu Smith-Schuster. Smith-Schuster’s success goes back to his rookie season when he had almost 1,000 yards and scored 7 touchdowns.

A sophomore slump was no concern for JuJu, he made the Pro Bowl in year two with almost 1,426 receiving yards.

JuJu saw his production take a hit in 2019. Smith-Schuster only managed 552 yards and 3 touchdowns in 2019. Although, this can be accredited to the loss of Ben Roethlisberger due to an elbow injury.

What’s in it for the Pittsburgh Steelers?

The Pittsburgh Steelers selected WR Chase Claypool in the second round of the 2020 NFL Draft. It would be fair to speculate that the Steelers aren’t against letting JuJu Smith-Schuster go after his contract is up. With 2020 being the last year on JuJu’s contract, it would be smart for the team to get something in return before he becomes a free agent.

The specific trade that was sent to Harrison Graham involved the Tennessee Titans sending Corey Davis, a 2021 1st round draft pick, and a 2021 6th round draft pick for JuJu Smith-Schuster and a 2021 7th round draft pick.

In my opinion, giving up Corey Davis AND a 1st rounder is a bit much for a wide receiver (JuJu) who barely had more than 500 yards last season. It is hard to tell what a fair price would be for Smith-Schuster. I would expect either Corey Davis and a mid-round pick or a 1st round draft pick and two later picks.

In either of these scenarios the Pittsburgh Steelers are receiving (no pun intended) enough to warrant giving up Smith-Schuster. They could potentially sign Davis to a cheaper contract or a one year prove-it deal, or they could rack up on draft picks to build for the future (sorry Ben).

Why get JuJu?

Corey Davis has not been quite the wide receiver that the Tennessee Titans have wanted him to be.

Every year seems to be “Corey Davis’s year” but it never really turns out to be. Corey Davis isn’t a bad wide receiver and if his 5th-year option was cheaper, I would have been all for the Titans picking it up. For what it is worth, his blocking ability is a huge reason for AJ Brown’s YAC and Derrick Henry’s success.

The fact of the matter is that the Tennessee Titans have a need for more talent at wide receiver. Corey Davis just doesn’t seem to be able to consistently put up the number that this team needs to go to the next level.

JuJu Smith-Schuster played very well as the second wide receiver behind Antonio Brown, so what would be different behind AJ Brown?

Since 1992, AJ Brown and JuJu have had the highest yards per target among rookie WRs with at least 700 yards. If the Tennessee Titans were to trade for JuJu and sign him long term, they would have a shot at having the best young wideout duo for years to come.

After shedding veteran deals like Jurrell Casey and Delanie Walker, the Titans are going to have a lot of space in the future. On top of that, if this season somehow plays out normally (or close to normal) the NFL’s cap space could be higher than projected giving them even more money to pay Juju down the line.

Would Corey Davis and JuJu benefit?

Say the Titans were to send Corey Davis to Pittsburgh for JuJu. Would either of these wideouts benefit in a new city?

Davis hasn’t been great in Tennesse, but he also hasn’t been bad. Many people expected Corey Davis to be the next star wideout in the NFL when he was drafted, but it is hard to be a star when you play in an offense that has as few pass attempts as the Titans have had since Davis was drafted.

Maybe a change of scenery is what Davis needs to get his career as a WR1 on track, and one thing is for sure, Ben Roethlisberger wouldn’t mind having 6’4 Corey Davis to throw the ball up to.

JuJu Smith-Schuster is a household name, but without a WR1 beside him, he really wasn’t the same guy last year. Looking back on his career a little more critically, maybe he was the beneficiary of a team that already had a WR and a RB that drew so much attention.

He had very strong rookie and sophomore seasons, but then his 3rd season was very underwhelming especially after the injury to Big Ben and the losses we discussed.

I think that JuJu could benefit by having a new quarterback with a skill set like Ryan Tannehill’s, More specifically I think Smith-Schuster would thrive on play-action plays set up by Derrick Henry.

He has a skill set that is very similar to A.J. Brown and I know people love to see different receivers with different skill sets, but what happens if you have two receivers with amazing RAC ability and you have no way to neutralize both of them?

Well, now you are giving your offense and opportunity to explode every time the defense focuses on the run game or tries to blitz because you have two guys who can turn 7-yard slants and curls into huge gains.

The Steelers get a mix of Plaxico Burress and Hines Ward while the Titans get another receiver likely to top 1,000 yards on minimal targets. Perfect fits for both teams who are probably looking for wide receivers after the end of the season any way unless these trade candidates shine for them.