Steelers chances to land Davante Adams could increase by the day

The Las Vegas Raiders are expected to trade Davante Adams in the coming weeks after an uninspiring start to the campaign. That adds a new layer of meaning to Sunday's showdown with the Pittsburgh Steelers, a team very much interested in acquiring the All-Pro wideout.

According to ESPN's Jeremy Fowler, Las Vegas began trade negotiations with the New York Jets and New Orleans Saints out of respect for Adams' wishes. He is most familiar with Aaron Rodgers and Derek Carr, so those are his preferred destinations. But, with each passing day, the odds increase in Pittsburgh's favor.

"The Steelers have strong interest in trading for [Davante Adams]," writes Fowler. "The feeling among the people I've spoken to is Las Vegas has started with the Saints and Jets, in part because Adams is interested in playing there. But the longer this goes, perhaps the more things open up for a team such as Pittsburgh. Adams likely won't be traded until next week at the earliest."

That "strong interest" could be what pushes a deal across the finish line. The Raiders are demanding a second-round pick in exchange for Adams, which is extremely steep considering his age, injury, and contract situation. At 32, Adams is currently rehabbing from a hamstring ailment. Moreover, his contract is essentially expiring at season's end, which means any trade could end up as a half-season rental if Adams decides to pick up and leave.

Most contenders with limited financial resources, such as Kansas City or Buffalo, just aren't going to burn a premium asset on an expensive wide receiver with no long-term guarantees. The Steelers, however, are spending very little at the quarterback position and thus have money to burn elsewhere.

Steelers emerge as more probable Davante Adams landing spot with each passing day

The Jets and Saints are both plagued by their own financial concerns, not to mention the general uneasiness tied to Adams' robust collection of red flags. The talented wideout put up 1,144 yards and eight touchdowns last season with Jimmy Garoppolo and Aidan O'Connell slinging the football, but he's on the decline. It's natural and pretty much unavoidable at his age. The hamstring injury just makes it harder to place full faith in Adams, as that is a notoriously fickle muscle.

This all benefits the Steelers, at least from the perspective of Adams' availability. Should Pittsburgh shell out valuable draft capital for an aging, injured, very expensive wide receiver who will take targets away from George Pickens and complicate the offensive hierarchy? I dunno, probably not. Adams' future will depend largely on his feelings, and it's hard to imagine him feeling totally fulfilled in the Steelers offense.

Justin Fields, for all his immense natural talent, just can't throw the football very well. He's an efficient game manager and a talented runner, but the air attack is never going to be a strength for the Steelers. Even if Russell Wilson takes over, the Steelers aren't going to rank in the top half of NFL offenses. Mike Tomlin almost never misses the playoffs, but Pittsburgh is uniquely dependent on its defense.

Adams probably doesn't want to put up a bunch of 7-50 lines the rest of the way. One thing's for sure, he will get a healthy target share in New York or New Orleans. In Pittsburgh, there is considerably less certainty, both in terms of how frequently Adams would be used and how productive his touches would be.

The Steelers need WR help, so Adams is a major upgrade on paper. It's fair to wonder if he'd even consider coming back as a free agent, though, and if the risk associated with that imminent departure should steer Omar Khan and the Steelers front office in a different direction.