The Steelers know how to scout receivers. When they got a chance to acquire one they had scouted nine years ago, they pounced.
In a trade with the Rams, the Steelers landed veteran wideout Allen Robinson for peanuts — a flip-flopping of seventh-round picks and a portion of his salary for 2023. G.M. Omar Khan explained during a Friday visit to #PFTPM that they first became interested in Robinson before he entered the draft.
“Well, I’d say that’s where it all started,” Khan said. “Coach Tomlin got a great feel for him when he was coming out of college out of Penn State. Got to know, you know, his parents at the Pro Day and got to know Allen a little bit.
“Obviously, they interacted whenever we played. He was a free agent last year. We had an interest in him and, you know, didn’t work out. He ended up going to the Rams. But one of the things that Coach and I had discussed earlier this year was we wanted to get a find a veteran leader in that receiver room and when the opportunity came about where we were able to have some conversations with the Rams and they went on for a few weeks, it was a no-brainer for us. Just the leadership, obviously the talent. He just brings so much to the organization. He’s just a great community person. It’s going to be it’s exciting to have him as part of this team.”
Khan was asked why the Steelers wanted to add a veteran leader to the receiving corps.
“We’ve got a young group and you always like having a veteran in there,” Khan said. “You know, he can play in the slot, he can play outside, just adds some flexibility. It’s always good to have a strong leadership, a veteran leadership presence in that room. Ever since I’ve been here, when we’ve been successful, there’s always been that individual in that room.”
Robinson has been successful in various stops during his career. Last year, it just didn’t work out, for various reasons. He had no chance to work with quarterback Matthew Stafford during the offseason, because Stafford couldn’t throw. Once the season started, it just never clicked.
Robinson will have a chance to get comfortable with Steelers quarterback Kenny Pickett during the offseason. With defenses perhaps devoting extra attention to George Pickens and Diontae Johnson, Robinson could have the kind of season that reminds everyone of some of the performances he’s had in the past.
The full interview with Khan appears in the attached video.