The Las Vegas Raiders’ excitement following their Week 4 victory over the Cleveland Browns has quickly diminished. Star wide receiver Davante Adams has requested a trade, and it appears the team is considering this request.
There will be no shortage of interest in Adams across the NFL. According to an October 1 X post from ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the Raiders are seeking a second-round pick and more in exchange for him. This price will mainly appeal to contending teams.
Kristopher Knox of Bleacher Report proposed a trade sending Adams to the Dallas Cowboys for quarterback Trey Lance and a conditional second-round pick.
“In this hypothetical scenario, the conditions for converting a conditional second-round pick into a first could be significant,” Ballentine noted in an October 1 column. “Dallas has shown it can make the playoffs. Winning multiple postseason games is now the goal—making an appearance in the NFC title game a sensible condition for the first-round upgrade.
“To make the deal sweeter, Dallas could also add third-string quarterback Trey Lance.”
For the Raiders, the Cowboys represent a logical trade partner, as this move would remove Adams from the AFC. However, Lance doesn’t significantly enhance the offer, given his lack of experience as a starting quarterback.
Will the Raiders Actually Trade Davante Adams?
At this point, the Raiders have little reason to keep Adams. Even if they secure a wild card playoff spot, they are not contenders for a Super Bowl with Gardner Minshew at quarterback. Additionally, Adams’ salary cap hit is set to increase to $44.1 million next season, suggesting the Raiders may have planned to move on from him regardless.
Delaying the trade until the offseason could lower his value even further. The longer they wait, the less they might get in return. The Raiders should be motivated to finalize a deal quickly, as they don’t want Adams to become a distraction. A player who has exceeded 1,000 receiving yards in back-to-back seasons isn’t a necessity for a young rebuilding team, especially with Adams turning 32 in December.
A Failed Experiment
When the Raiders traded for Adams in the 2022 offseason, they had just made the playoffs and hired Josh McDaniels as head coach. With quarterback Derek Carr coming off a strong season, the hope was that reuniting him with Adams would lead to success.
That did not happen. The Raiders only won six games in Adams’ first season, leading to Carr’s release. They then signed Jimmy Garoppolo as the starting quarterback, which turned out poorly.
Las Vegas managed just eight wins last season, and this year hasn’t started any better, with the team currently at 2-2 and suffering a blowout loss to the Carolina Panthers. Adams missed the Week 4 game against the Browns, and the Raiders still won, indicating they can succeed without him. This situation has proven to be a failed experiment, and it’s in the Raiders’ best interest to move on now.
