The Houston Texans have complicated matters for the rest of the NFL this offseason. Their decision to make rookie wide receiver Jayden Higgins the first second-round pick in league history to have a fully guaranteed contract has caused mayhem: Only the Cleveland Browns have followed suit for linebacker Carson Schwesinger, but 30 incoming players with the same draft billing remain unsigned.
You know who managed to avoid this mess? The Pittsburgh Steelers, who sent their No. 52 overall selection to the Seattle Seahawks in March in exchange for star wideout D.K. Metcalf. The trade was met with initial backlash from Black and Gold's perspective, though with hindsight, it's aged nicely even before the pads have come on.
Steelers D.K. Metcalf trade saved them from second-round headache rest of NFL is experiencing
Pittsburgh couldn't have seen this coming, so call it a happy accident. Nevertheless, sometimes it's better to be lucky than good, which the Steelers are experiencing firsthand. Landing Metcalf not only makes them better on the gridiron, but it was also inadvertently a blessing in disguise from a managerial standpoint.
Owners don't seem to be budging in response to the Texans' (and Browns') unprecedented move, creating a league-wide holding pattern. Los Angeles Chargers second-round pass-catcher Tre Harris became the first to send a message by skipping out on the start of training camp. It wouldn't be shocking if other newcomers do the same in the coming days/weeks, yet that doesn't concern the Steelers.
Paradoxically, the highest-drafted second-round pick still without a contract is Seahawks safety Nick Emmanwori. Seattle used the 52nd choice it received as part of the Metcalf swap to jump up the board and snag him. The players taken after the South Carolina defensive back are patiently waiting to see how he proceeds in hopes of setting the market for them.
Further complicating matters for practically everyone but the Steelers, Texans and Browns is that the second-round mutiny can't be considered a holdout. Until pen meets paper, they can't be penalized for missing training camp. In other words, this could go on deep into the summer for teams.
Thanks to Metcalf, the Steelers aren't one of the franchises facing this messy situation with no end in sight. However, on the flip side, it also cost them a pretty penny to avoid the problem. They agreed to a four-year, $132 million extension with the two-time Pro Bowler upon his acquisition. So while they dodged a bullet to some degree, it took making him the fourth-highest paid receiver in football by average annual value.