The Pittsburgh Steelers find themselves in the same spot they were in during the majority of training camp - swirled up in trade rumors revolving around an unhappy wide receiver. Pittsburgh's need at the position still has not been filled, and General Manager Omar Khan has thrown his hat into the ring to try and land Davante Adams, who is expected to be traded by the Las Vegas Raiders. The receiver was noticeably unhappy with the organization, and he officially requested a trade during the week of preparation leading up to Week 5.
Associated Press
Raiders' Davante Adams makes a catch against the Steelers.
Adams is a highly-coveted trade target throughout the NFL. He is a player that could upgrade any offense instantly, and he is the kind of route-running extraordinaire that the Steelers need. He would pair nicely with George Pickens, and the two would force the defense into making mistakes in coverage.
The whole situation is a bit messy. Adams is currently battling back from a hamstring injury that he suffered in practice, and apparently it is a real injury. There were some who thought the injury wasn't legit and it was just a tool for Adams to help force his way out of Las Vegas, but that isn't the case. When a team trades for a high-end player like Adams, it is fairly expensive. This means they will want Adams to be healthy when the deal goes through and be able to get on the field immediately.
Adams is reportedly going to be back to full health within the week, meaning he could get dealt soon. This was reported by Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, who expects the star to be traded soon.
"But sources say Adams is nearing full health and it's likely that he'd be healthy enough to play [in Week 6]. All of which means that as trade talks ramp up over the next 48 hours, Adams may have played his last down for Las Vegas."
Adams being near full health and teams preparing to get a deal done for the receiver is bad news for Pittsburgh. They will actually travel to Las Vegas in Week 6 to take on the Raiders, and no sound organization would send their best player to their next opponent. Of the teams involved on a potential deal for Adams, this puts the Steelers as probably the biggest long shot to land the wide receiver.
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Raiders wide receiver Davante Adams stands on the frustration looking frustrated during a professional football contest in Las Vegas, NV.
Other teams involved in a possible trade with the Raiders include the New York Jets and New Orleans Saints, as each team is quarterbacked by guys Adams has played with.
He played his college ball with Derek Carr and then the duo spent a season together with the Raiders, and Adams and Aaron Rodgers were one of the best duos in the league during their times with the Green Bay Packers. Other teams that have been mentioned and are considered interested in the receiver include the Baltimore Ravens, Washington Commanders and Buffalo Bills.
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New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers stands in front of the media during his introductory press conference.
Steelers May Benefit From Dysfunction In New York
Adams would probably most want to play with Rodgers and the Jets, who have been rumored to be his most preferred destination. This makes sense as the receiver had the best years of his career while catching passes from Rodgers. However, the Jets don't necessarily look like all that great of a landing spot right now. There are some questions about whether or not Rodgers and the Head Coach Robert Saleh get along, and overall the team has been pretty disappointing.
Rodgers has struggled to gel with his receivers in New York, specifically Garrett Wilson who is still going through some growing pains as a young player in the league. It seems like the Jets could benefit from adding a receiver like Adams, but the way the Jets offense currently looks - he may not want to go there anymore.
What do you think of the Steelers chances to land Adams? Let us know in the comments below!
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