The big news in the NFL yesterday was Las Vegas Raiders wide receiver Davante Adams requesting a trade, and with the Pittsburgh Steelers having a hole at wide receiver behind George Pickens, they’re a logical team to connect the dots with involving a trade. ESPN NFL insider Dan Graziano gave a few names that could be of interest to the Steelers in his weekly news and notes column for ESPN, and said he expects the team to be in on Adams.
“[Amari] Cooper would be one to watch for Pittsburgh, though it’d be an in-division trade, and those are tough to execute,” Graziano writes. “I would expect the Steelers to be in on Davante Adams along with DeAndre Hopkins, if he becomes available, and I do wonder about Christian Kirk in Jacksonville.”
As for the non-Adams names, it’s hard to imagine the Steelers and Cleveland Browns coming to terms on an Amari Cooper trade, especially since Cleveland and Pittsburgh play twice in the second half of the season. Cooper feels like speculation more than anything, as does Christian Kirk. Graziano mentioned both DeAndre Hopkins and Kirk when talking about the Steelers last week, but those names feel more like speculation than anything.
Adams is different given there’s now a trade request out there and both sides might be motivated to find a deal. The Raiders are reportedly asking for a second-round pick and additional compensation, which is really steep and a price that the Steelers likely wouldn’t pay. The team was willing to give up second- and third-round picks in the offseason for WR Brandon Aiyuk, but he is five years younger than Adams.
If the Raiders hold firm on that level of compensation, it’s going to be hard for them to find any takers for Adams. The other bit that makes acquiring the six-time Pro Bowler difficult for the Steelers is he’ll have a number of suitors, and his relationship with Aaron Rodgers from their time with the Green Bay Packers makes the New York Jets a team to watch. If I had to guess right now, I’d say Adams ends up with the Jets, which has been a rumored landing spot ever since last season.
But there’s little doubt that Omar Khan will make a few calls to Raiders GM Tom Telesco and try to get something going. At 3-1, the Steelers have the potential to make some noise this season, and adding another top receiver alongside George Pickens could take their offense to the next level. Given how involved Pittsburgh was in the Aiyuk trade discussions, it’s clear the Steelers will explore the idea of upgrading, specially if they find the asking price more palatable.
