After trading George Pickens, it is past time to reassess the Steelers’ reputation as a wide receiver factory. Not because they traded Pickens, but because of what it implies. The thing is, Pickens’ production never outweighed the aggravation he engendered, and they knew about the aggravation all along. He entered the NFL with maturity issues, and he exits the Steelers with maturity issues.
That’s all part of the scouting profile, and the Steelers made the decision to draft George Pickens, trusting that they could handle him. Or at least, handle him enough to justify the production, which we never saw.