The Las Vegas Raiders employ arguably the best wide receiver on the planet in Davante Adams. The perennial All-Pro is in his second season with the franchise after spending eight years in Green Bay catching passes from Aaron Rodgers. But with the Silver and Black currently at 1-3 and a far reach from playoff contention, could the front office look to trade Adams?
To add fuel to the fire, Adams himself spoke about his frustrations following a Week 3 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers. In the post-game media scrum, the 30-year-old wideout expressed his desire to win football games now — not later.
“I don’t got time to wait around. It’s not a personal thing. I mean, it is a personal thing, but it ain’t just about me,” the star pass catcher said after a brief pause. “It’s not my mentality to sit here and try to take all season to figure it out. We’re not doing the things the right way to establish a winning culture … so we gotta do something to turn that around.”
But the venting did not end there for Adams. He went on to say, “It’s not supposed to be just a week of talking about s***. We’ve got to go out there and do it. We did all that last year. This year, we gotta be about it.”
Sheesh. While NFL fans respect this brutal honesty from players, the Raiders front office might not be as happy hearing it. There is no indication that Vegas is entertaining trade offers for Adams right now. But if the team continues losing games, the rumors will undoubtedly ramp up as the Oct. 31 trade deadline approaches.
4 Davante Adams trade targets if the Raiders make him available
Let’s work under the assumption that either the Raiders put Davante Adams on the trade block or Adams himself demands a trade within the next few weeks. In that scenario, which teams will be lining up to make offers for the superstar wideout?
No. 1: Detroit Lions
By far the best potential pairing for Davante Adams, in terms of competing immediately, is the Detroit Lions. That still feels odd to type, but I am getting used to it! With the Lions, Adams would return to the NFC North and instantly become a top target for quarterback Jared Goff.
Imagine this for a second. Adams, Amon-Ra St. Brown and Jameson Williams all sharing the field at one time. How could any defense even begin to prepare for that? Offensive coordinator Ben Johnson is likely salivating at the thought.
General manager Brad Holmes is not scared to be aggressive. A trade for Adams would be the ultimate “win now” move and should be enough to create a gap between the Lions and the rest of the division. Some creativity with the salary cap is required, but nothing is impossible when it comes to adding a premier talent to the fold.
No. 2: New York Giants
The Giants have stumbled out the gate in 2023 after a surprising playoff berth in Year 1 of the Brian Daboll era. The success led to New York extending quarterback Daniel Jones and franchise-tagging Saquon Barkley. Jones’ play has regressed mightily behind a porous offensive line while Barkley is dealing with yet another ankle injury.
Simply put, nothing is going right for the G-Men this season. But perhaps the addition of Davante Adams could get the offense back on track. The Giants do not have a suitable WR1 on the roster — sorry, Wan’Dale Robinson — so even if the campaign continues to go awry, it would make sense for general manager Joe Schoen to pull the trigger.
Would Adams be happy going to a team that will have to scratch and claw to get back into contention? Would he want to catch passes from Daniel Jones? Odds are against it, but it would give the former Packer a high-profile stage to perform on. And the Giants have the assets and coaching to see an immediate turnaround in 2024.
No. 3: New England Patriots
Another team that is not necessarily in the playoff chase but makes sense in a Davante Adams trade is the New England Patriots. Bill Belichick hasn’t had a wide receiver with a fraction of Adams’ talent since the Randy Moss days. It would be unfair to assume the veteran can replicate Moss’ numbers, but his impact could be just as valuable.
Quarterback Mac Jones hasn’t received the type of support you’d expect for a New England signal-caller. The Patriots cannot continue sending Jones to a gunfight with a bunch of butter knives as his artillery. Adams would shift the attitude of the unit upon arrival.
Belichick’s crew is sitting in last place in a crowded AFC East. Like the Giants, a trade for Adams might be more beneficial in 2024 than midseason. However, making the move now and allowing the star pass-catcher to get acclimated would set him up for a big season next year. That is if the franchise can sell Adams on such a move.
No. 4: Indianapolis Colts
A true wildcard in the Davante Adams sweepstakes is the Indianapolis Colts. On the surface, the Colts might profile as a young roster that is still far away from competing. But a closer look reveals that Indy is far closer to fielding a competent contender than many think.
One spot the roster could stand to improve is at wide receiver. Michael Pittman Jr. and Josh Downs are developing a strong connection with Anthony Richardson, but second-year player Alec Pierce has consistently underwhelmed since arriving to the NFL. Inserting Adams onto the depth chart makes life easier for all involved.
Richardson is the real sell here for Adams. Out of all the teams mentioned on this list, none of them have a quarterback with the upside of the Colts QB1. We have seen Stefon Diggs and Tyreek Hill trades elevate the Bills and Dolphins from fringe playoff teams to bonafide Super Bowl contenders. It might be a lofty expectation, but Adams has the talent to make that same exact impact in Indianapolis.