The Las Vegas Raiders have struggled mightily to get a hold atop of the AFC West and put themselves forward as legitimate contenders ever since their 12-4 record back in 2016, where former franchise quarterback, Derek Carr, had his, “almost MVP quality” year; his decidedly best season to date.
With no AFC West division championships to their name since 2002; over 2 decades and 2 Jon Gruden tenancies ago, the Raiders are becoming more and more desperate to get their team back to being in contention, and ultimately, their first Super Bowl win since January 1984, now over 40 years ago.
The Las Vegas Raiders Made A Big Trade For Star Wide Receiver
In 2022, the Las Vegas Raiders decided to make a splash in the open market and reunite the dynamic college duo of Carr and ex-Green Bay Packers All-Pro receiver, Davante Adams. trading 1st and 2nd round picks in the process.
However, despite Adams receiving All-Pro honors once again, former head coach, Josh McDaniels, was unable to lead the team to a winning, instead finishing 6-11, a steep regression from their 10-7 record the year prior.
And coming off of a hot-and-cold, streaky year with a below par Jimmy Garoppolo, followed by 4th round rookie, Aiden O’Connell, at the helm, some believe that the former Packer’s days in Las Vegas may be numbered as the Raiders look to rebuild their roster around early round draft picks on rookie contracts, along with bona fide stars still very much in their prime.
Davante Adams On The Trade Block?
Would Las Vegas trade Davante Adams? Well, if they received the right offer from the right team, quite possibly.
In fact, according to CBS Sports football writer, Bryan DeArdo, the former Oakland based team are more likely than not to trade their star receiver at some point in 2024.
“My guess is that Adams won’t be a Raider when this year’s trade deadline comes to pass. Adams, after all, is still a high-level player who could be the difference for a team that is heading to the playoffs.
In fact, if Adams is indeed traded, two possible destinations could be the Packers (his former team) or the Jets (who employ Aaron Rodgers, his former quarterback in Green Bay).“
Although DeArdo also asserts that the Las Vegas Raiders would be “handsomely compensated” for the 3 x All Pro, it is unlikely that the Raiders would manage to obtain a similar package of a 1st and 2nd round pick. A more likely return would be low 1st round pick, or perhaps a higher second in combination with a subsequent pick the following year.
Which NFL Teams Could Be In The Market For Davante Adams
DeArdo mentions the Packers and the New York Jets as prime candidates to trade for his services, the former already having a pretty clear idea of what the former Fresno state man brings to a team, having spent 8 seasons in Green Bay since being drafted by them in the 2nd round of the 2014 NFL Draft.
The Packers tend to not love bringing high priced free agents; even less so if it comes at the expense of precious draft capital, with Green Bay traditionally being a team that prefers to build through the draft, often willing to let high flying stars leave in the midst of their prime – such as stud running back, Aaron Jones, earlier this offseason.
The Jets, meanwhile, already managed to secure the services of former Los Angeles Chargers wideout, Mike Williams, back in mid-March, to pair with budding star playmaker, Garett Wilson. Whether they need Adams in addition to what could be a lethal duo is up for debate, however, Davante Adams did add some fuel to the fire back in October, where he stated that he misses his former QB and 4 x NFL MVP, Aaron Rodgers, now the signal caller in New York.
Other options could include the Pittsburgh Steelers, who are shorthanded on the perimeter having traded Diontae Johnson to the Carolina Panthers just after the start of the league year, and the Buffalo Bills, who have yet to fully replace the recently departed Stefon Diggs, despite recently drafting former Florida State standout, Keon Coleman.
Realistically, whether Las Vegas eventually end up trading Davante will depend on both Adams’ performance through the first 2 months of the season, and the Raiders’ standing at the time. In all likelihood, this will be a drawn out affair with numerous back and forth rumors circulating well before the trade deadline on November 5th.
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