I've come with a message of hope, everyone. The Pittsburgh Steelers were once thought to be out of the running as far as any Davante Adams trade was concerned. But, things have changed.
Just Wednesday evening, it was revealed that Adams had preferred to be dealt to the New York Jets after making his official trade request Tuesday afternoon. Albert Breer, an NFL insider for Sports Illustrated, stated that teams who have reached out to the Raiders were "convinced" the star wide receiver wanted to play for the Jets.
That seemingly put out any smoke to what fans were hoping would turn into a fire, leading to an Adams-Steelers trade.
However, as they often do in this league, we've seen the tables turn a little bit overnight.
Another NFL insider, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, posted that although Adams wants to play for the Jets because of his relationship with quarterback Aaron Rodgers, he is still open to playing for other teams.
Adams has not demanded to play anywhere, specifically, contrary to what some might have been led to believe.
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Then, fellow insider Mike Garafolo doubled-down on Rapoport's post when he reiterated that the Raiders are going to take the top deal in the end, doing what's best for the organization.
“While the Raiders could trade Adams to the Jets, they will do what's best for their organization, sources say, including taking the best deal from the highest bidder.”
— Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) October 3, 2024
Hearing same as @RapSheet on that — #Raiders honoring the trade request but not letting him drive completely. https://t.co/SqvoPA4ugY
So, let's say the Jets make an offer for Adams but the Steelers are able to surpass what New York is willing to give up.
In that case, Adams might just be a Steeler. But, what would it cost to land Adams?
The Raiders' asking price for Davante Adams is doable for the Steelers
For those who might not already know, the Raiders pretty quickly set their asking price for Adams. Las Vegas would like the trade to be centered around a second-round pick, plus additional compensation.
So, for the Steelers to go out and get Adams, they might have to part with a package of picks containing a second, and maybe something like a fourth and a sixth. Vegas might potentially want a receiver in return, too, so the Steelers would likely. have to part with one of: Van Jefferson, Calvin Austin or rookie Roman Wilson.
From there, if the Steelers were to land Adams, the next step would be to restructure his contract. Next year, Adams' cap number soars to over $36 million. Now, Pittsburgh is projected to have $74 million in cap space, per Over the Cap. But, the Steelers could also add another year or so onto the current deal while making it more team-friendly in the end.
If Pittsburgh were to add Adams, they'd certainly continue to ascend in terms of being an AFC contender. So long as Justin Fields keeps playing well (and Adams would certainly help in that respect) and the defense stays healthy, there's no reason why the Steelers couldn't contend this season.