Steelers Have Intriguing Opportunity To Scout WR For Blockbuster Trade During Jets Game
Sunday’s matchup between the 2-4 New York Jets and 4-2 Pittsburgh Steelers has intrigue for several reasons. Newcomer Davante Adams is expected to make his debut for the Jets. The Steelers could have Russell Wilson under center for the first time this season as Pittsburgh and New York battle for positioning in the AFC playoff race early in the year. Pittsburgh has an opportunity to see a star player up close that they could put in a bid for before the trade deadline. The receiver-needy Steelers watched this week as Adams went to New York and Amari Cooper left the AFC North for the Buffalo Bills. As a consequence of the trade for Adams, the Jets have reportedly placed wide receiver Mike Williams on the trade block. Williams was a non-participant at practice on Wednesday and Thursday for personal reasons. The former first-round pick returned on Friday and head coach Jeff Ulbrich said he’d play on Sunday, per Connor Hughes with SNY TV.
NFL insider Mike Florio suggested the Steelers could use Sunday’s matchup as an opportunity to meet with Williams and keep him in Pittsburgh via a trade. “(Williams is) still the odd man out. The Jets would love to trade him, Florio wrote on Pro Football Talk. Maybe they can strike a deal to send him to the Steelers. He’ll be with the Jets in Pittsburgh on Sunday night. Hell, he could just stay.” Wiliams signed a one-year deal worth $10 million with the Jets in the offseason. The 30-year-old receiver hasn’t had much use in New York, catching just 10 passes for 145 yards this season. He’s the fifth-leading receiver on the team entering Week 7.
Williams had 319 receptions for 4,951 yards and 31 touchdowns in his eight-year NFL career. He could pair well with George Pickens to open up the passing game in Pittsburgh if the Steelers can pull off a trade.
Despite being plagued by injury troubles in the early stages of the NFL campaign, the Indianapolis Colts own a 3-3 record. They will again take the field significantly shorthanded for their Week 7 home matchup versus the Miami Dolphins, as star running back Jonathan Taylor is being ruled out for the third week in a row with a high-ankle sprain, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
