The NFL's legal tampering period promised to be a wild two days, and it didn't disappoint. The Pittsburgh Steelers were among the teams that made noise during this period, especially on Tuesday after they agreed to terms on a three-year deal with linebacker Patrick Queen before trading former Pro Bowl wideout Diontae Johnson to the Carolina Panthers.
Pittsburgh needed to replenish its receiving corps before trading Johnson after recently parting ways with veteran Allen Robinson II. Now, the Steelers are undeniably in the market for wideouts with both Johnson and Allen out of the picture.
The Steelers will surely use the draft to rebuild their receiving corps, and may even do so with their first-round pick. But they will also acquire one via free agency. Here's a look at five available wideouts the Steelers may pursue with the official start of free agency kicking off Wednesday afternoon.
1. Tyler Boyd
A Pittsburgh-area native who played collegiately at Pitt, Boyd would likely jump at the chance to play for his hometown team. The 29-year old enjoyed back-to-back 1,000-yard receiving seasons as the Bengals' No. 1 wideout early in his career before settling into his role as a complementary player in recent years.
Boyd is an accomplished slot receiver who did plenty of damage against the Steelers during his time in Cincinnati. Along with his tangibles, Boyd can also serve as a mentor inside what will be an extremely young Steelers receivers room.
2. Josh Reynolds
He's never been a No. 1, but Reynolds, 28, has nonetheless enjoyed a solid career to this point. The former fourth-round pick caught five touchdown passes during the Rams' 2018 Super Bowl season. He is coming off an impressive two-plus year run with the Lions that saw him catch 97 passes for 1,393 yards and 10 touchdowns.
Reynolds also has extensive playoff experience. He's made played in nine playoff games that includes four postseason starts. Reynolds caught a touchdown pass in the Lions' divisional round win over the Buccaneers.
3. Calvin Ridley
For whatever reason, Ridley remains available despite the fact that he is coming off a highly-productive 2023 season that saw him catch 76 passes for 1,016 yards and eight touchdowns. Ridley showed he can still play at a high level after serving a one-year suspension in 2022 for betting on games.
Money might be the reason why Ridley is still available. His projected market value is currently $70.3 million over four years for an average annual salary of $17.6 million.
4. K.J. Osborn
I'm a fan of Osborn, who put up solid numbers in Minnesota despite being part of a crowded receiving corps. He was extremely consistent during his last three years with the Vikings. He respectively caught 50, 60 and 48 passes per year over that span with 15 total touchdowns. Osborn especially stood out as a deep threat who helped open things up for teammates Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison and T.J. Hockenson. It's conceivable to think that Osborn could do the same thing in Pittsburgh for the Steelers' playmakers.
5. Marquise Brown
"Hollywood" had a solid start to his carer in Baltimore before things started to go south after he was traded to Arizona. When healthy, Brown is a game-changing player who can stretch a defense. The thought of Brown and George Pickens opposite each other is downright scary.
Brown would be a good fit with the Steelers, but money could be what holds a potential deal up. His currently projected market value calls for an annual salary of just under $15 million.
