In the interest of turning over every stone, the Pittsburgh Steelers should be combing through the UFL with the wide-eyed curiosity of Charles Darwin in the Galápagos Islands. The chances of scouting a late bloomer are slim, but there is bound to be an athlete who slipped through the cracks roaming through the premier spring football league.
At this point in the offseason, the Steelers are more fixated on practice squad bodies and developmental players than they are on finding a sleeper who can contribute in Week 1 of the 2025 season. Quarterback and receiver are still glaring flaws for the Steelers. However, two prospects in particular make complete sense for the Steelers to examine.
Deon Cain could bolster the Steelers receiving core
Deon Cain, the UFL's leader in receiving yardage and touchdowns had his longest spell on an NFL roster with the Steelers. From 2019 to 2021, has bounced around the active roster and the practice squad, but never stuck. Cain currently leads the UFL in receiving yardage and is second in touchdowns.
If the Steelers are going to have a free-for-all to be the WR2, he may as well open it up for the UFL’s best receiver. Cain, 28, is still in his athletic prime, stands at 6-foot-2, and is built like a tank. However, talent is not how he fell out of the league before.
Cain declared too early after a so-so junior season at Clemson in 2017 that culminated in a national title. Unfortunately, he became synonymous with his reputation for making mental mistakes and dropped in the draft despite being rated as a second-day pick. Then, in his first training camp, Cain tore his ACL, then fell out of favor with the Colts during his second year. Cain isn't going to light it up, but given the depths they went to a year ago in search of receiver help, he's an option worth exploring. Ironically, Cain is also a former teammate of Mike Williams whose stint in Pittsburgh last year started with a splash and ended with a whimper.
Bryce Perkins could be worth a look at quarterback
If this is going to be a gap year, Michigan Panthers dual-threat quarterback Bryce Perkins is worth taking a flyer on. The 6-foot-3, 220-pound signal caller moves the agility of a much smaller quarterback and he’s all the rage creeping toward MVP considerations.
Admittedly, his tape from the emergency starts he made in 2022 for the Los Angeles Rams were a mixed bag. However, that entire offense was decimated before he was thrown into the fire. However, during his debut season in the UFL, Perkins has emerged as a frontrunner for the league’s MVP. More importantly, he still exhibits the dynamic athleticism that made him an NFL prospect in the first place. The franchise that gambled on an Allstate insurance agent can spin the wheel on a star quarterback on the spring league circuit.
Offensive coordinator Arthur Smith’s offenses have typically leaned on quarterbacks with wheels. In Atlanta, he experimented with Marcus Mariota and Desmond Ridder. Last season, Smith maximized Justin Fields’ during the first half of the season before turning the reins over to Russell Wilson. Perkins could look exactly like the flustered Rams starter who panicked in the pocket and relied too often on scrambling. On the other end, it’s worth giving him a look considering their backup this season could be sixth-round pick Will Howard.