Former Los Angeles Rams Wide Receiver Impressing in Pittsburgh Steelers OTAs

A low-cost offseason gamble could pay dividends for the Pittsburgh Steelers. According to the Athletic's Mark Kaboly, former Los Angeles Rams, Chicago Bears, and Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Allen Robinson is impressing in organized team activities and could carve out a significant role for himself at slot receiver.

ICYMI:

Steelers OTA winners, losers: Dan Moore, Allen Robinson impress, rookies don’t as they take some time off before Camp.https://t.co/sMYex2IZ0Q
— Mark Kaboly (@MarkKaboly) June 18, 2023

The Steelers acquired Robinson and a seventh-round pick from the Rams in exchange for a seventh-round pick. The Rams signed the 2015 Pro Bowler to a three-year, $46.5 million contract signed during free agency last year, but Robinson quickly proved a poor fit for their offense. He ended the year with a mere 339 receiving yards and 6.5 yards per target over 10 starts.

Fortunately for the Steelers, they'll inherit a much more manageable contract situation with Robinson. The two parties renegotiated a two-year, $15 million deal that is set to pay Robinson a modest $5 million this season. He'll likely need a big season in 2022 to earn the other $10 million.

A bounce-back season isn't off the table for Robinson. He's still only 29 years old and has three 1000-yard seasons on his resume. He also provides a big-body and red-zone threat missing on the Steelers since trading away Chase Claypool.

Still, Robinson will face stiff competition for touches. The Steelers already sport target hogs in wide receiver Diontae Johnson and running back Najee Harris, and second-year wide receiver George Pickens is an ascendant talent coming off a promising rookie season (801 receiving yards, 9.5 yards per target). If he's going to revive his career with the Steelers, he'll have to beat out younger, more established talent, and to do that he'll need to be truly great.