Halicke: Steelers have interest in Adams, and for good reason

Whether or not anyone wants to admit it, the Steelers need another impact wide receiver. With the Raiders making Davante Adams available via trade, and with Adams wanting out of Las Vegas, Omar Khan has at least reached out to Raiders general manager Tom Telesco to get a feel for what it might take to make Adams a Steeler.

To be completely honest, it doesn't take some high-level, exclusive reporting to say the Steelers are at least interested in discussing a trade with the Raiders, though team sources have confirmed the interest in Adams. But, it's pretty much the same in saying water is wet. Khan waited out the Brandon Aiyuk situation with the 49ers to a bitter end, and he's absolutely telling the truth every time he gets behind a podium and says they'll always entertain any avenue or opportunity to improve the team.

Reports from national outlets Wednesday morning say Adams' preferred destinations are the Jets and Saints, which makes a lot of sense. Adams has played the majority of his career with Aaron Rodgers, and Adams was wildly productive while Derek Carr was his quarterback. Adams has an established rapport with both quarterbacks, and both the Jets and Saints are currently in a position to compete for postseason spots. So, "buying" ahead of the trade deadline is viable.

And, regardless of Mike Tomlin's reaffirmed faith in his team's ball distribution, Adams would undoubtedly make the Steelers a better football team.

"I'm not discouraged by how we're distributing the ball at all," Tomlin said Tuesday during his press conference at the UPMC Rooney Sports Complex. "All the guys have had their moments. A couple weeks ago, Calvin [Austin III] had a big day. (Pat Freiermuth) has been a major contributor just about in every game, and so I'm not overly concerned with how we're distributing the ball or view it as an issue at this juncture."

On the surface, the Steelers' ball distribution certainly isn't as reliant on George Pickens as perceived. Pickens does lead the team with 29 targets, 20 receptions and 284 receiving yards. Freiermuth isn't far behind in targets (20) or receptions (17), while Austin is averaging a team high 17.9 yards per reception, though a 55-yard touchdown catch definitely skews that.

But, a deeper dive into the data shows a stark need for another impact receiver. Of the 33 team catches this season that have moved the chains, Pickens leads the way with 12 of them. But, receivers other than Pickens? Just six, with four of them coming from Austin. Now, Freiermuth is helping move the chains, as well as the trio of running backs being able to make catches, as well. However, there's clearly a discrepancy at receiver.

In terms of Justin Fields having open targets, this is where the Steelers truly lag behind. Pickens has consistently been near the top of the league in terms of getting separation. According to FantasyPoints.com, Pickens ranks ninth in separation score among 106 players who have ran at least 75 routes this season. Van Jefferson, the Steelers' current No. 2 receiver, ranks 96th. 

If that's not enough for you, here are two charts based on data from Pro Football Focus:

In that first chart, notice how far Fields is over to the left. That means, even with Pickens being one of the better separators in the league this season, he's dead last in having receivers who can separate, or get themselves open.

Now, this really is nothing against Jefferson. It's more on the Steelers, who were comfortable going into the season with him as the No. 2 receiver. Despite having a solid training camp, Jefferson's not a No. 2 receiver in this league. He's miscast in a role that's not meant for him. He might have been the second-leading receiver for the Rams in 2021, but that's the only season in which Jefferson has done such a thing. And, it sure helps to have Cooper Kupp having a season in which he caught 145 passes for 1,947 yards and 16 touchdowns. That kind of play makes everyone else's job way easier. And, having a brilliant offensive mind such as Sean McVay doesn't hurt, either.

The Steelers can rectify this issue by acquiring Adams. That's easier said than done since Adams clearly has other preferred destinations. But, should those not work out and Adams actually comes to Pittsburgh, he could immediately open things up for this offense.

Adams needs no real introduction here. He's been a first team All-Pro three times in his career, has five seasons in which he's exceeded 100 catches and 1,100 yards, and he's led the NFL in touchdown receptions twice throughout his career. He's also an elite separator, a phenomenal route runner and a better blocker than any other receiver currently on the Steelers' roster.

In terms of fitting Adams under the salary cap, that is a bit of a tricky issue right now for Pittsburgh, though it's hardly a deterrent. Adams' salary for this season is $16.89 million, and he's already earned four game checks by this point. That means, along with per game roster bonuses, he's got only $13.53 million remaining due to him, and that number will decrease by a little over $1 million each week he remains with the Raiders. Should any team wait until the deadline to acquire Adams, he would only be owed $8.6 million.

The Steelers currently have just $10.6 million in cap space, according to OverTheCap.com. Should the Steelers try and trade for Adams now, Khan would have to create room for him in order to remain cap compliant, which would likely include a restructure of some kind. Or, the Steelers could restructure Adams' current contract or work out a new deal with Adams to fit him under the cap.

As far as the next two seasons in which Adams currently carries a $44.1-million cap hit, the Steelers would only be responsible for the $36.25 million in salary and roster bonuses owed per year to Adams. $15.7 million of that cap hit would be dead cap paid by the Raiders since that money was guaranteed at signing. And, that $36.25 million per year in 2025-2026 is not guaranteed. So, he's essentially a rental, though a new or restructured contract could be enticing to Adams, especially if he were to like the fit in Pittsburgh.

At the end of the day, there shouldn't be any worrying about salary cap implications. Adding Adams to this roster may not immediately make the Steelers a Super Bowl contender, but it does make the team -- and the offense -- better. In a league that is driven by offense, adding firepower to this roster is absolutely necessary. Should the Steelers make the playoffs and find themselves in a matchup that requires the offense to open things up, such as we witnessed this past Sunday, it's best to have as much firepower as possible. And, the good thing is Fields showed against the Colts that he's willing and able to take that role on.

So, yes, acquiring Adams would be a huge move for this team. And, considering all of the data at hand, it would be a move that improves the Steelers' chances of competing. The trade deadline isn't until Nov. 5, and with nothing imminent, expect the Steelers to remain involved in the market for Adams until further notice.

There is at least one Steelers' player who apparently wants this trade to happen. Cordarrelle Patterson, who already tweeted once Tuesday night about Adams, tweeted once again Wednesday afternoon: