The Steelers won’t have wide receiver Martavis Bryant for the entire 2016 season thanks to a suspension for violating the league’s substance abuse policy.
Running back Le’Veon Bell said last week that he didn’t think Bryant’s absence would keep the team from operating at a high level offensively because there were enough other playmakers on hand. General Manager Kevin Colbert seemed to agree with Bell while discussing Bryant’s suspension on Sunday while saying the team wouldn’t change its offseason plans in light of the suspension.
“We feel good about Sammie Coates and his development,” Colbert said, via the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. “Unfortunately, Martavis won’t be a part of the team in 2016 but Sammie Coates will be. We have a kid in Eli Rogers who, prior to him getting hurt last year, showed some promise.”
Coates didn’t play much as a rookie, catching one pass for 11 yards in six regular season appearances. He had two catches for 61 yards in the playoff loss to Denver with Antonio Brown sidelined by a concussion. Rogers was an undrafted free agent out of Louisville last year and spent the year on injured reserve after hurting his foot.
Brown, Markus Wheaton and Darrius Heyward-Bey are also on the depth chart at receiver with the recently signed Ladarius Green taking over at tight end from Heath Miller. Throw in Bell and DeAngelo Williams and there’s plenty of support for Ben Roethlisberger without adding anyone to the roster in the coming weeks and months.