It seemed to be brewing since the 2024 NFL season began, and on Tuesday, it began official: Davante Adams‘ camp let it be known the six-time Pro Bowl wideout prefers to be traded from the Las Vegas Raiders.
Buckle up.
Sin City’s general manager Tom Telesco has begun working the phones, letting clubs league-wide know of the star receiver’s availability. As Adam Schefter reports, the desired compensation is a package deal including a second-round draft pick.
That’s if the Raiders decide to actually trade Adams, though.
As things stand, Las Vegas holds a 2-2 record with the chance to jump above .500 on Sunday. Although the Silver and Black managed to pick up a win in Week 4 without Adams, the team totaled a mere 130 yards through the air. The 31-year-old wideout is the engine that starts Sin City’s passing attack.
However, should the Raiders elect to move on from Adams, they’ll likely need to adjust their asking price. Per Josina Anderson, representatives of multiple teams have critiqued the return Las Vegas is asking for.
League sources from two other notable teams representing both conferences chimed in on Davante Adams’ potential* availability:
One of these teams said, “it’s always about the $$ this time of year. The stars would have to be aligned and Vegas would have to eat some P5 (paragraph… https://t.co/UV8qRTyQsG
— JosinaAnderson (@JosinaAnderson) October 1, 2024
Adams, turning 32 years old in December, is coming off of his least productive season since 2015. His eight touchdowns last year stand as the second-lowest total he’s produced over the last eight years while his 67.3 yards per game was his lowest mark since 2017.
Unfortunately for the Raiders, these things negatively impact their star wideout’s trade value.
Las Vegas Raiders opening up to idea of trading Davante Adams
The Las Vegas Raiders haven’t been too fond of planning ahead in recent years, but if the team is to move Adams, there must be a replacement plan in place.
It’s time to learn from the mistakes.
The Silver and Black find themselves in this situation with Adams largely due to lack of planning. When the Fresno State alum was acquired from Green Bay, the then-Raiders regime had no plan in place other than hoping Derek Carr and Adams would put the league on notice in less than one year’s time.
Make no mistake: It isn’t a ‘Same ol’ Raiders’ move to trade Davante Adams at this juncture, especially if Las Vegas makes calls around the league for a replacement. The true ‘Same ol’ Raiders’ move was surrendering assets for Adams without a proper plan in place.
Amari Cooper serves as a good fill-in at receiver in the event of an Adams trade. Cleveland restructured Cooper’s deal earlier in the week, making it so Cooper’s cap hit will be just under $1 million for any club who welcomes the veteran aboard.
It shouldn’t cost the Raiders much to reunite with their old friend, either.
If the Bengals believe their season isn’t over yet, bringing in Davante Adams will be a viable option. In this scenario, Cincinnati would likely work Tee Higgins into an agreed upon deal, giving Las Vegas a weapon of their own.
Teams will be dialing Telesco’s number to ask about Davante Adams. In the meantime, Telesco should be dialing numbers himself to ask other clubs about their receivers. Time will tell what the Raiders decide to do.
*Top Photo: AP Photo/David Becker