Mark Madden's Hot Take: Trading for a high-priced receiver would be wasteful for Steelers

Anybody with half a brain and a remote sense of reality should shelve talk that the Pittsburgh Steelers should trade for Las Vegas wide receiver Davante Adams or any wideout that gets a big paycheck and would cost the Steelers significant draft capital in return.

Be glad, too, that the Steelers didn’t get Brandon Aiyuk from San Francisco.

Draft a receiver in the first round of next year’s draft. He’ll be talented and have to play on the cheap for four seasons.

The Steelers aren’t going anywhere this year. Won’t win a playoff game. They’re 50/50 to make the playoffs. They’re firmly ensconced in the mushy middle.

In theory, there should be lots of urgency after not winning a playoff game for seven seasons. But this is a badly assembled, poorly coached, undisciplined team.

Adams doesn’t fix that. Aiyuk wouldn’t have fixed that. Justin Jefferson wouldn’t fix that. Jerry Rice in his prime wouldn’t fix that.

The Steelers are averaging 18.4 points per game. They averaged 17.9 last year.

The offense is still broken. Arthur Smith’s offense looks like Matt Canada’s offense, just with more tight ends. The overall approach (as dictated by Mike Tomlin) is cowardly.

Maybe Russell Wilson could do better. It’s worth a try. The Steelers got Wilson to be QB1. Follow through with that plan. Give that young offense leadership and organization.

But don’t make a significant trade. No need. Think big picture.

But the Steelers are traditionally incapable of doing that.

So, get ready for more time in the mushy middle.

Get prepared for more boring football, too. These Steelers are utterly unwatchable. Pitt is the fun team in town.

If you’re a talk host, come up with a different subject than a trade that you know won’t be made. Be better. You’ll never be me, but be better.

When the Steelers were 3-0, the usual suspects were calling them a legit threat to beat Kansas City. HAW, HAW, HAW, HAW!