Steelers' swing and miss on Davante Adams opens the door for a trade candidate with ties to Pittsburgh
They say the third time is the charm. For the Pittsburgh Steelers, they were active in negotiations for WR Brandon Aiyuk and struck out before going 0-2 after Tuesday's blockbuster trade, one that sent Davante Adams to the New York Jets. Well, a new name has emerged and he happens to be a current teammate […]
They say the third time is the charm.
For the Pittsburgh Steelers, they were active in negotiations for WR Brandon Aiyuk and struck out before going 0-2 after Tuesday's blockbuster trade, one that sent Davante Adams to the New York Jets.
Well, a new name has emerged and he happens to be a current teammate of Adams' and a player that Pittsburgh has shown prior interest in:
Mike Williams on the Trade Block
Sources: The Jets are planning to make WR Mike Williams available for trade after acquiring Davante Adams. Williams signed a 1-year deal this offseason and the current receiver room is just too crowded.
-Jordan Schultz, Fox Sports
After being released in the offseason by the Los Angeles Chargers, Williams was scheduled to visit with the Steelers during his free-agent tour, but the Jets wouldn't let him out of the building without signing a contract.
And to this point in his Jets tenure, while Williams has remained healthy, he and Aaron Rodgers have yet to be on the same page. So with one of the league's best pass catchers coming in, Williams could be on his way out.
To get an idea of how Willimas would fit in Pittsburgh both schematically and financially, I reached out to A to Z Sports cap expert and AFC East Division Editor Wendell Ferreira:
I do think it's an intriguing proposition for the Steelers. Mike Williams has not been good this year, with the worst number in yards per route run (0.94) he's had since his rookie season in 2017. That being said, we know how Aaron Rodgers likes to throw to the players he trusts, and Allen Lazard has unsurprisingly been that guy behind (and sometimes even ahead of) Garrett Wilson. Williams will always be seen with the lens of a failed top 10 draft pick, but he is a good role player. In 2023, his last year for the Chargers, he had 2.33 yards per route run, a career high for him. So he's not washed. Sure, he is not a volume guy, and has had more than 100 targets in a season only once, in 2021. But as a role piece behind George Pickens, especially with two bombs-away quarterbacks in Russell Wilson and Justin Fields, he is a fine deep-threat option. Even better for the Steelers, most of Williams' contract is a signing bonus. Therefore, Pittsburgh would absorb only a proration of his $1.255 million base salary, which would be $812k right now or $664k at the trade deadline. It's still unclear how much the Jets want in draft compensation, but the risk-reward seems attractive for a buyer.
Wendell Ferreira, A to Z Sports
For Pittsburgh, the clock is ticking. Not only in the literal sense giving the looming date of Nov 5th's trade deadline, but in terms of their offensive ceiling. The team already feels the need to make a controversial decision at QB, and things aren't getting any better on the perimeter.
So if the move can be done in a fashion that allocates little draft capital and even less cap ramifications, a dart throw is better than just sitting back and hoping the offense catches a spark.
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