Thursday’s “First Call” gives us a Dallas Cowboy who is changing his tune about George Pickens. We examine the Pittsburgh Steelers’ place in the trade derby for Davante Adams. A former Steelers defensive back got a workout with the Cleveland Browns.

And there are some theories about Russell Wilson’s future.

In the mix

On Tuesday, ESPN NFL reporter Adam Schefter wondered if the New York Jets’ coaching change and Derek Carr’s injury might subtract the Jets and New Orleans Saints as potential suitors to land Las Vegas receiver Davante Adams in a trade.

On Wednesday, though, Raiders writer Tashan Reed (The Athletic) reported that those two teams are still in the running along with the Steelers and Buffalo Bills.

Meanwhile, Reed says that Kansas City, Dallas, Baltimore and Washington are no longer in the hunt.

Adams played with Carr in college at Fresno State. Jets QB Aaron Rodgers was his quarterback when the two players were teammates in Green Bay.

The Steelers visit Las Vegas this week. The club hosts the Jets in two weeks.

Right now Adams is dealing with a hamstring injury that is keeping him sidelined. However, many have wondered if that is a ruse just to protect his trade value.

“He’s still a Raider,” coach Antonio Pierce said via the team’s website.“When he’s healthy and he can play, thenwe’ll play him.He’s just not healthy right now. He’s getting closer, though. That’s the good part. He’s working every day to get that hamstring right. He’s in the right headspace mentally. We talked recently and had a good conversation, and he’s ready to play football.”

Steelers wide receivers besides George Pickens have accounted for just 19 catches and 233 yards.

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What to do with Russ?

Everyone knows that Mike Tomlin hates to “deal in hypotheticals” about his quarterbacks on a game-to-game basis.

So he is really going to hate where we are going here.

But what if Justin Fields starts in Las Vegas, plays well, and holds onto the job from now up until the trade deadline? What would the Steelers do with Russell Wilson? Trade him?

Yeah. Maybe. If someone is offering a good return, I’m sure that Omar Khan would consider such a move.

However, Wilson’s contract does include a no-trade clause. If he wants out but doesn’t want to waive the clause for a deal that would send him to a team he doesn’t want to join, then the Steelers might just release him.

That’s how Dan Graziano suggested things might go down at ESPN.com on Wednesday.

“Wilson’s one-year, minimum-salary contract includes a no-trade clause. It’s possible this ends with him getting released, not traded,” Graziano said. “I don’t know who the team is that would give up assets for Wilson right now, but it’s certainly possible one does and that he ends up being the answer to (which QB is most likely to be traded).”

In pure football terms, I also don’t know why Pittsburgh would be inclined to move Wilson. He’s a dirt cheap, highly accomplished backup that would be easy to turn to if Fields falters or suffers an injury.

That said, as Tomlin so frequently states, he “wants volunteers not hostages.” If Wilson is going to be a malcontent, either releasing him or trading him is a move that may have to be put on the table.

However, Wilson has indicated nothing as of yet in terms of a desire to leave Pittsburgh.

Backing off

Dallas Cowboys defensive back Jourdan Lewis is walking back his criticism of Steelers wide receiver George Pickens.

As we outlined on Monday morning, at the end of the game Sunday at Acrisure Stadium, Pickens grabbed Lewis by the facemask and threw him to the ground.

Lewis then muttered in front of cameras as he went into the Dallas locker room that the Steelers need to get a wide receiver because Pickens is “weak.”

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Now, based on this post from the Fort Worth Star-Telegram’s Nick Harris, Lewis is changing his stance.

No doubt that Pickens was agitated. He was benched for 41% of the offensive snaps. That’s the most time he has ever spent off the field in his Steelers career. He also only caught three passes for 26 yards.

New chance in the North

Former Steelers defensive back Jalen Elliott had a chance to land with a different team in the AFC North.

According to Aaron Wilson of KPRC-2 in Houston, Elliott worked out with the Cleveland Browns on Wednesday. But so did Trey Dean, and Dean was signed to the practice squad.

Elliott got on the field in a special teams role for the Steelers in games against the Los Angeles Chargers and Indianapolis Colts. He was a part of 33 special teams plays but didn’t register a tackle. He and fellow DB Darius Rush were released in advance of the Dallas game in order to clear roster space for running back Aaron Shampklin and outside linebacker Jeremiah Moon.

Both of those players were pressed into duty at times over the past two games.

Dean is a second-year safety who has spent time with the Jets and Chiefs as well.

Tim Benz is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Tim at tbenz@triblive.com or via X. All tweets could be reposted. All emails are subject to publication unless specified otherwise.

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