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Steelers need to find a slot receiver

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Le'Veon Bell and the Steelers sound like they're closing in on a long-term deal, but there's still a chance he'll end up playing on the franchise tag this season.

The Steelers have two great outside receivers in Antonio Brown and JuJu Smith-Schuster. Beyond that, the depth chart is unsettled.

The biggest question mark, as noted by Joe Rutter of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, comes at the slot position.

Yes, Smith-Schuster could operate from the slot, if the team feels comfortable with rookie second-rounder James Washington in an outside role.

Veteran candidates include Justin Hunter and Darrius Heyward-Bey. Rutter thinks Marcus Tucker, a practice-squad player in 2017, could earn a roster spot specifically to play in the slot.

Then there’s Eli Rogers, who suffered a torn ACL in the playoff loss to the Jaguars and who is still looking for work. The Steelers could bring him back, and he could earn reps in the three-receiver set.

Whoever gets the gig should have favorable matchups, given the attention that will be paid to Brown and Smith-Schuster. Which will put even more pressure on the slot receiver to perform.