NFL Feature: Will Las Vegas Raiders Trade DaVante Adams?

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PARADISE – Wide receiver DaVante Adams made it known he wanted to be traded away from the Las Vegas Raiders. The team no longer has Quarterback Derek Carr, Adams’ former teammate at Fresno State. Without Carr and without the look of a playoff team, Adams’s trade request is reasonable.

Is it too early for Adams to request this trade? After all, it’s tough to know which teams are in playoff contention this early. Adams is clearly looking at this from an unbiased perspective. There simply isn’t enough talent on this team to make a playoff run. He’s obviously thinking ahead and expecting a season of no more than seven wins.

Adams could eventually be on a team like the Steelers or Browns. The trick is figuring out how to have the cap space once a trade happens. Adams will come with a huge salary cap hit so it’ll be interesting to see which teams make moves to increase cap space and make a fair offer to the Raiders. Make no mistake, the Raiders aren’t going to trade him for a small return if they do so. A team will have to give up a “king’s ransom”.

The Raiders will likely get three or four draft picks as well as a solid or elite player in return, likely a receiver. The Raiders could also ask for a Safety or Cornerback in return as well as a decent receiver and several draft picks.

Adams won’t like to go to a developing team like the Texans or Broncos. Although Russell Wilson would certainly welcome Adams, it’d be a wasteful attempt given such low expectations. The Raiders wouldn’t likely trade Adams to a division rivalry anyway.

As of right now, the San Francisco 49ers and Cleveland Browns have the cap space in the league. They are both playing like playoff contenders so far. The Dallas Cowboys have the third most cap space but do not have an immediate need for another receiver. The Arizona Cardinals have the fourth most cap space but likely won’t contend for a postseason seed. The Cincinnati Bengals have the fifth most cap space but are set at receiver. The Raiders can keep Adams since they have the sixth most cap space.

The Atlanta Falcons have the seventh most cap space and will have a great chance to win the NFC South if they can agree to a deal for Adams. However, Atlanta has more needs on defense than at Receiver. The Tennessee Titans have the eighth most cap space and definitely should add a receiver. The problem is Tennessee does not appear to be a playoff team. The Carolina Panthers could be a possibility but Adams won’t like the idea of playing alongside a rookie quarterback. The Chicago Bears have the tenth most cap space but have virtually no chance at a playoff appearance. Also, Chicago isn’t necessarily sold on Justin Fields bringing the franchise quarterback. The New York Jets have no need for Adams. The Detroit Lions might be a team to watch as they would probably like to add another big-time receiver to go with Amon-Ra St. Brown. Going back to the Packers is likely out of the question.

Baltimore might consider such a trade with the injuries at receiver. Odell Beckham Junior and Rashod Bateman were ruled out for week four. However, the Ravens’ cap space has some limitations. Indianapolis and Jacksonville aren’t strong possibilities. Chances are, if the Raiders trade Adams, he’ll go to San Francisco or Cleveland. Detroit remains a strong possibility as a third team.

Adams is thirty years old and wants to win a Super Bowl in the next five years. So far this season, Adams has 322 receiving yards and three touchdowns. He has four seasons of over 1,000 receiving yards. He has nine seasons of NFL experience so his veteran presence and playmaking abilities can solidify a team’s chances of winning the Super Bowl.