The 2023 NFL season is nearing its end. While the Las Vegas Raiders are still attempting to secure an AFC playoff spot, the Silver and Black have to begin thinking about the offseason—furthermore, the future of players such as Davante Adams.
Adams’ future has been in the spotlight this season due to the Raiders struggles. However, those rumors have quieted with the firings of Josh McDaniels and Dave Ziegler, while the Silver and Black transitioned to Antonio Pierce and Champ Kelly.
Nonetheless, those rumors are likely going to be back this offseason. What will happen? ESPN NFL insider Dan Graziano shared his thoughts on what the future holds for Adams.
Is Davante Adams playing his last couple of games as a Raider?
ESPN’s insiders recently began touching on the early buzz heading into the offseason as some teams that aren’t playoff-bound start looking toward the 2024 season. One of the topics that they weighed in on was which star veteran could get traded before free agency opens in March.
Graziano’s pick was Adams, stating that it’s a prominent name to watch this upcoming offseason. Many will have their eye on whether the six-time Pro Bowler is on the move, considering all the speculation that went on and the visible frustration Adams showed.
“Davante Adams is the obvious one to me,” Graziano noted. “Even if the interim guys keep the jobs (which is possible), the Raiders are going to have a different coach and GM than they had when they acquired Adams and signed him to a contract extension. One of the reasons the star receiver went there was to play with quarterback Derek Carr, who’s no longer there.”
Where could the Raiders WR land this offseason?
Graziano doesn’t stop there and mentions a couple of landing spots that would make sense for Adams. Furthermore, it would have the three-time All-Pro reuniting with former signal-callers he’s familiar with.
“Adams has played the good soldier and not requested a trade, but I do think there’s a strong chance he gets to the offseason and he and/or the team decide it’s best to move on,” Graziano added.
“Whether that means he ends up in New Orleans [Saints] with Carr or New York [Jets] with old buddy Aaron Rodgers or somewhere else entirely, the acquiring team would have to pay him $16.89 million guaranteed next season, and the Raiders would take on a dead money cap hit of around $23 million.”
If the new regime decides to trade Adams, the Raiders will likely want to recoup the draft capital they sent to the Green Bay Packers in 2022. Las Vegas handed over a first-round and second-round pick for the veteran wide receiver. Whether it’s the Jets, Saints, or another team, it will be interesting to see how this Adams saga plays out.
*Top Photo: Getty Images
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