Joe Starkey: Steelers should chase Davante Adams with all their might

PITTSBURGH — Is this a trick question?

I speak of the one making the rounds here and everywhere else on planet football this week: Should the Steelers pursue restless Las Vegas Raiders receiver Davante Adams?

Of course they should.

Obviously they should.

YES, THEY SHOULD!

Last I checked — although you wouldn't know it from following this team for the past seven years — the idea is to win big games, and in order to win big games you need better players than the other guys. You need to separate yourself.

Adams is a separator. Just last season, with broken Jimmy Garoppolo, ancient Brian Hoyer (didn't he retire in, like, 2009?) and a man named Aidan O'Connell attempting to throw him footballs, Adams still managed to haul in 103 of them for 1,144 yards, eight touchdowns, 59 first downs and 13 catches for at least 20 yards.

The year before, in his first year with Vegas, he had 100 catches, 1,516 yards and 14 touchdowns. He's a star.

This is the kind of difference maker the Steelers should be chasing, and there is every reason to believe they will. They essentially revealed a few months ago that they consider themselves one big-time playmaker shy of a load. That was their self-evaluation, leading them to put the blitz on Brandon Aiyuk. They were willing to dump upwards of $30 million a year on him.

The way things have begun for Aiyuk in San Francisco this season, maybe it's best the Steelers fell short in that pursuit. But it's hard to believe their self-evaluation has changed. Have you seen their receivers beyond George Pickens?

Me neither, except for a few Calvin Austin III sightings and a Scotty Miller cameo against the Chargers. Even at 31, Adams is a transformative player, despite some issues in Vegas, including the fact that he is battling a hamstring injury. When healthy, he would present defenses with some terrifying decisions.

Should they put their best coverage guy on him or Pickens?

Who should they double team?

And if they allocate major resources toward both, how much would that open the rest of the field for the likes of Pat Freiermuth? How much would that lend itself to big advantages in the run game?

This wouldn't come without complications. Nothing does. Money and egos top the list — but don't they always in professional sports? It's not just wide receivers in the NFL, either. You had a Steelers quarterback turn sour last season and beg out of town because he thought he was being mistreated.

So yes, maybe Adams arrives and realizes this isn't The Greatest Show on Turf and wants more targets. Maybe Pickens sees his workload cut and doesn't appreciate it. Those are the risks you take. That is why you pay Mike Tomlin the big bucks.

I'd take my chances. I'm guessing the Steelers would, too — although they would have serious competition from several teams, including, in all likelihood, the New York Jets and Adams' old quarterback, Aaron Rodgers.

ESPN's Adam Schefter has pegged the cost for Adams as a second-round pick and "additional compensation." That sounds fair. The next question would be Adams' contract. It's complicated, but the bottom line is that if you don't get him as a rental player, you'd have to be willing to pay him between $25-30 million for at least a few more years.

Bleacher Report described the situation this way: "Though Adams is in the third year of a five-year, $140 million contract and is due $36.25 million in 2025 and 2026, the final two years of his deal are non-guaranteed, meaning finding a deal for him could be a bit easier."

Here's what I respect about the Steelers: They clearly realized that the status quo was not working and have made some fairly dramatic makeovers (Exhibit A: the quarterback room) in an attempt to become legitimate championship contenders again.

They obviously felt like one of the pieces they had to have was another playmaker. If not Adams, it could be another receiver who becomes available before the Nov. 5 trade deadline.

Keep an eye on the Miami Dolphins, who seem like a tanking candidate and have two enticing receivers in Jaylen Waddle and Tyreek Hill. Shoot, you already have people talking about the Dolphins trading Hill back to the Chiefs, although the financial ramifications on Miami's end seem prohibitive.

There was a time nobody would think of the Steelers being involved in such things. They almost have no choice now.

When you haven't come close to winning a playoff game in seven years, you better be willing to change.