As long as Ben Roethlisberger, Antonio Brown and Le'Veon Bell are healthy, the Pittsburgh Steelers offense is going to be just fine. Heck, even without Bell for much of last season, the Steelers were as explosive as any team in the league. But with wide receiver Martavis Bryant suspended for the upcoming season, they'll have to make adjustment to keep everything humming.
Lucky for Pittsburgh, it has a handful of players that can pick up the slack. Last year's third-rounder Sammie Coates is a speedy option who should see more playing time in his second season, and free agent tight end Ledarius Green has been a popular breakout candidate over the last few seasons. But neither of them is as qualified to fill the void as Markus Wheaton.
Wheaton may not be the imposing physical threat that Bryant is, but he's sure-handed and experienced and the most likely option to replace Bryant. That bodes well for Pittsburgh's offense and for fantasy football owners looking for a potential mid- to late-round gem.
"Wheaton has played the complementary role," ESPN's Jeremy Fowler wrote. "He has played the slot receiver role. Now, in a contract year, he's got a legitimate chance to be a No. 2 receiver. Wheaton has good speed, and the Steelers will want him to utilize it more often when shaking defenders and making aggressive plays on the ball. Wheaton's sluggish start to 2015 while Bryant was suspended four games can't happen again. Don't be surprised if Wheaton plays frequently on the outside this year. That's natural to him, but Bryant's presence forced Wheaton inside."
Over the last two seasons, Wheaton has recorded 97 catches for 1,393 yards and seven touchdowns.
He'll be challenged by Green, Coates and Darius Heywayrd-Bey for touches, of course. The Steelers didn't give Green a $4.75 million signing bonus to stand in the corner, nor did they invest a mid-round pick in Coates to just be a bystander. But entering his fourth year, Wheaton has the edge over all of them thanks to his familiarity in Pittsburgh's offense and the trust he's established with Roethlisberger. It wouldn't be a surprise to see him set career highs across the board in 2016.
Follow Brandon Katz at @Great_Katzby
