Jason Cole of Bleacher Report reported on Thursday that Martavis Bryant is expected to win the starting second wide receiver job over Markus Wheaton, according to sources. Cole said that Wheaton is still expected to play "a lot". Also worth noting, Cole said that the Steelers will be expected to use a lot of four wide receiver formations, with Le'Veon Bell splitting out to join Antonio Brown, Bryant, and Wheaton.
Bryant absolutely deserves the starting job, as he has more yards per game, yards per catch, and touchdowns, while playing six less games than Wheaton. Bryant's 21.1 yards per catch is very eye-catching. He really is a matchup nightmare for opposing defenses, standing 6'4" tall and running a 4.42 forty yard dash, which could become even faster as he is reportedly in better shape than last season. So, it is no surprise that Mike Tomlin and Todd Haley want Bryant on the field as much as possible.
The thought of Le'veon Bell splitting out as a wide receiver is very interesting. Having Bell, Wheaton, Bryant and Brown all split out would offer a lot of speed and versatility. Bell is arguably a better receiver than the Steelers current fourth wide-receiver, Darrius Heyward-Bey. By all means, splitting Le'veon Bell out wide would give defenses fits, and it would add another dimension to an already high powered Pittsburgh Steelers offense.
To conclude, both of these reports are great news for Steelers fans. With the defense still a question mark, it is important for Pittsburgh's offense to maximize its skill and potential. The offensive line will be a great help, as long as everyone can stay healthy. Both of these moves will also be a great help, and could result in the offense reaching coordinator Todd Haley's goal of averaging at least 30 points per game in the upcoming season.