The Pittsburgh Steelers could really stand to add a quality wide receiver. They tried to pry WR Brandon Aiyuk away from the San Francisco 49ers throughout the offseason, but that deal never materialized. So when Las Vegas Raiders WR Davante Adams requested a trade, it only made sense that the Steelers would start sniffing around.
However, there are other teams that are doing the same. The biggest suitors are the New York Jets and the New Orleans Saints. The reason? It would reunite Adams with quarterbacks he’s familiar with. He started his career with Jets QB Aaron Rodgers while they were both with the Green Bay Packers. And he played with Saints QB Derek Carr with the Raiders. But neither team has pulled the trigger, leaving the door open for teams like the Steelers.
“I think there are teams out there lurking like the Pittsburgh Steelers, like the Baltimore Ravens, like the Buffalo Bills waiting to see if the Jets or Saints can’t and won’t get a deal done with the Raiders,” Adam Schefter said on ESPN’s Get Up on Thursday. “The Raiders have been adamant that they get back at least a second-round draft pick and then some. But in this market, there has not been a team that is willing to step up.”
Schefter goes on to point out that Adams is a “distressed asset” who wants out. That certainly hurts the Raiders’ leverage in this situation. Other interested teams will try to wait the Raiders out to drive the price down.
And the two teams most heavily linked with Adams are both in trouble right now. The Jets just fired head coach Robert Saleh and are 2-3. They’re second in the AFC East behind the Buffalo Bills. Is working with Rodgers enough to overcome the other obvious issues the Jets are facing?
And speaking of issues, Carr isn’t even starting for the Saints this weekend. Carr suffered an oblique injury in the Saints’ loss to the Kansas City Chiefs Monday night and could miss multiple games. Does Adams want to go to a team where he isn’t even sure when he’ll get to play with his former quarterback again?
So the Steelers and general manager Omar Khan are keeping a very close eye on the situation. Adding Adams could go a long way toward making the offense more explosive. Even though Adams will turn 32 in December, he’s still riding a streak of four consecutive 1,000-yard receiving seasons. He’s only had one season averaging less than 10 yards a reception in his first 10 seasons in the league, and that was back in 2015.
As for the financial aspect of trading for Adams, Dave Bryan did a thorough look into the cap and money implications earlier this month. Without having insight into both Adams and Khan’s thought processes, the Steelers definitely have the ability to swing the trade.
And it’s hard to argue that wide receiver isn’t the biggest need for the Steelers. They never truly replaced WR Diontae Johnson after trading him to the Carolina Panthers this offseason. And there are definitely issues with George Pickens right now. So even at age 31, Adams would be a huge addition to the Steelers.
Just don’t expect a move to occur before the Steelers take on the Raiders on Sunday. But don’t expect to see Adams either as he is sidelined with a hamstring injury. That injury could be part of the hang-up on a trade, but the Raiders certainly wouldn’t trade Adams to the Steelers right before the two teams clash. How embarrassing would that be if Adams went off?
