Raiders Aiming To Trade WR Davante Adams Soon
By the time teams convene for Wednesday practices, Davante Adams may well have a new uniform assigned to him. The Raiders are aiming to be done with this process this week.
More specifically, The Athletic’s Dianna Russini indicates Las Vegas wants Adams to have a new home within the next 48 hours. Requesting a trade days ago, Adams is onboard with this timeline. While also offering that the Raiders want this deal done soon, veteran NFL reporter Jordan Schultz adds the team is still not prepared to settle for a below-market deal for its top offensive player.
The Jets and Saints remain the favorites, according to Russini, though the Steelers may be the top lurking team here. The most smoke has come out of New York, however, even if Adams is believed to have some concerns about Aaron Rodgers‘ post-2024 future there. The longtime Rodgers weapon had similar reservations about signing a Packers extension, with Rodgers in year-to-year mode at that point, and eventually made it known he preferred a Derek Carr reunion with the Raiders. That experiment fizzled quickly, and it is not hard to see why the Saints are involved.
Rodgers threw three interceptions Sunday, dropping the Jets to 2-3. New York’s two wins have come over downtrodden teams, and time is running out for the Joe Douglas-Robert Saleh-Nathaniel Hackett trio. The pressure on this Jets power structure makes it logical it would gamble on Adams by parting with a valuable future asset, rather than let their potential successors use it as Adams ends up elsewhere. The Jets have not been shy about catering to its quarterback’s wishes, so they should be expected to stay in this mix until the end.
The Raiders want at least a second-round pick for Adams, who is under contract through 2026. Mark Davis is believed to be resolute on that price for a player he was hesitant to give up this offseason. With Las Vegas in limbo, having again benched its starting quarterback (months after a trade-up effort failed), acquiring an asset for its top skill player has always made more sense than hanging onto a weapon that has seemed out of place for over a year.
A Saints arrival would require more Mickey Loomis cap gymnastics, but some of the odysseys the longtime GM has completed to reach offseason cap compliance certainly would not make such a journey unrealistic. The Saints, however, have barely $2.5MM in cap space. The Jets sit at $17.3MM. This would make New York a more appealing partner for Las Vegas, which would understandably prefer to avoid paying some of Adams’ salary to help the acquiring team. (A team obtaining Adams this week would be on the hook for $11.92MM in base salary, should the Raiders pay nothing.)
Though, this route can boost trade compensation, as the Broncos found out when they pried second- and third-rounders from the Rams for agreeing to pay most of Von Miller‘s 2021 salary. How much the Raiders would be willing to eat may well determine if the Saints are a viable option. The Steelers hold $10.5MM in cap room. If the Raiders move on now and not agree to pay any of Adams’ remaining base salary, they would save more than $19MM in cap space, much of which would stand to be rolled over into 2025.
Several other teams — from the Bills to the Browns to the Chiefs to the Commanders to the Ravens — have been tied to Adams. The Chiefs should be considered extremely unlikely for obvious reasons, and the Ravens have not discussed Adams with the Raiders in days. A Washington landing would be interesting, given Jayden Daniels‘ status as the runaway Offensive Rookie of the Year favorite, while Buffalo — after opting to trade Stefon Diggs — may be more amenable to meeting Vegas’ terms after Josh Allen struggled without Khalil Shakir available Sunday. The Bills have two 2025 second-round picks, via the Diggs trade.
Other wideouts are undoubtedly set to become available, but Adams being on the block early presents help nearly a month before the trade deadline. The 31-year-old WR’s hamstring injury is not expected to be an issue much longer. While a trade now would mean a higher base salary for a player who may end up a rental — as two nonguaranteed years at high prices ($35.6MM, $36.6MM) remain on Adams’ contract — but this is a rare talent who should have some productive years left. We appear close to learning Adams’ third NFL destination.
Colts Waive CB Dallis Flowers
Part of a competition to commandeer one of the Colts’ outside cornerback jobs this offseason, Dallis Flowers has fallen out of favor with the team’s coaching staff. The backup corner has tumbled far since losing that summer position battle.
The Colts waived Flowers on Monday and opened up another roster spot by placing guard Will Fries on IR. A starting guard, Fries is set for leg surgery after being carted off during Indianapolis’ latest loss in Jacksonville.
These moves leave the Colts with some roster calls to make, as this move leaves them with only three boundary corners — leaving slot bastion Kenny Moore out of this equation — on the 53-man squad. Gus Bradley‘s defense ranks 29th against the pass.
Flowers started all four games he played for the Colts last season, before an injury shut him down. A JuJu Brents injury impacted the Colts’ CB group in Week 1; the 2023 second-round pick is out for the season. Flowers, a 2022 UDFA, had competed with 2023 seventh-rounder Jaylon Jones to start opposite Brents. Jones won the competition, and among the Colts’ top three boundary corners going into camp, he is now the last man standing.
This Flowers cut comes after he was involved in Brian Thomas Jr.‘s 85-yard touchdown reception in the Jaguars’ 37-34 win. Flowers has played 89 defensive snaps thus far this season. Flowers came to the Colts as a former Division II and NAIA standout, but he now represents the second multiyear Indianapolis CB contributor cut since the team finalized its 53-man roster in late August. Indy waived Darrell Baker to make room for a subsequent Samuel Womack waiver claim. Baker is now with the Titans.
Facing criticism for showing too much faith in their roster this offseason, the Colts resisted outside calls to add at cornerback. They did not draft one, keeping the Brents-Jones-Flowers-Baker setup in place. Three of those cogs are out of the picture now, with veteran Chris Lammons now playing a key role behind Jones and Womack. The August waiver claim moved into the starting lineup following Brents’ injury; Pro Football Focus has viewed the ex-49er’s Indianapolis start well, ranking him sixth at the position. Four corners, including former Cowboys second-rounder Kelvin Joseph, are on the Colts’ practice squad.
Bengals CB Dax Hill Suffers ACL Tear
Moved from safety to cornerback this offseason, Dax Hill won a Bengals starting job. It will now be a while before the former first-round pick reclaims that role. The Bengals fear Hill suffered an ACL tear Sunday, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport tweets. Zac Taylor has since confirmed Hill sustained the tear, which will end his season.
The shift to cornerback led to Hill starting the first five Bengals games this season. After struggling to find a home over his first two NFL seasons, the Michigan alum had begun to show promise at corner. Pro Football Focus graded Hill 33rd at the position through five games, but the third-year cover man will not resurface until 2025.
Cincinnati completed the position change to start its offseason program, and while Hill was not guaranteed a starting role as a result of this switch, he earned one opposite Cam Taylor-Britt. Hill had beaten out DJ Turner for the gig; Turner figures to return to the lineup for a Bengals team struggling on defense amid a 1-4 start.
Primarily a rookie-year backup behind Jessie Bates and Vonn Bell, Hill moved into Cincy’s starting lineup after the team let both defect in free agency. The results did not impress, and the team bailed on Hill as a safety starter after one season. Fortunately, Hill’s CB skills — honed partially at Michigan, where he played alongside Turner — gave him a rebound opportunity. But Hill will, in all likelihood, lose most of his first full-time CB season due to injury. That reality playing out would place the former No. 31 overall pick on shakier ground entering a 2025 contract year.
The Bengals let Chidobe Awuzie play out his contract last year, leading the former Cowboys draftee to sign a big-ticket Titans deal. Hill moving to corner meant the team has used three first- or second-round picks at the position since 2022; Taylor-Britt arrived as a 2022 second-rounder, with Turner going off the board in the 2023 second round. This combo will be needed for Lou Anarumo‘s embattled group, as it attempts to salvage the worst of its Joe Burrow-era starts.
This injury also stands to impact Hill’s fifth-year option price. The four-tiered structure makes any Pro Bowl player eligible for the second rung on this ladder, while Tier 3 is for players who played at least 50% of their teams’ snaps over their first three seasons or 75% in two of the three. Hill staying healthy this year pointed him toward the third rung, as he played 100% of the Bengals’ defensive snaps last season. Instead, he will be eligible for the bottom CB option number. That would make it easier for the Bengals to pick up Hill’s 2026 option, but coming off an ACL tear will make authorizing a fully guaranteed salary more difficult for the team.
Broncos’ Tyler Badie Has Full Movement In Arms, Legs; RB Placed On IR
OCTOBER 5: To little surprise, 9News’ Mike Klis reports Badie has been placed on injured reserve. He will miss at least the next four games as a result, but a return later in the year is still possible. Estime is eligible to be activated from IR as early as next week, and his return would help compensate for Badie’s absence.
SEPTEMBER 30: A scary scene transpired Sunday at MetLife Stadium. Broncos running back Tyler Badie suffered a back injury that seemed to worsen after he limped to the sideline following a first-half fumble. Badie needed to be stretchered off the field.
Good news has emerged a day later. The third-year back did suffer a significant back injury, but NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport relays he has full movement in his arms and legs. Badie had flown back to Denver on a commercial flight Sunday night, KOA’s Brandon Krisztal tweets.
Badie is an IR candidate, per Rapoport, but he is not certain to miss the rest of the season. Signed from the practice squad after a promising outing against the Buccaneers, the Missouri alum is likely out of the mix for the time being. His return later this season would stand to depend on his readiness and the Broncos’ IR situation.
Denver turned to Badie in what became a three-man rotation with Javonte Williams and Jaleel McLaughlin. The former Denver practice squad back, however, fumbled on his third touch of the game — a short reception. Badie was able to walk off the field but did so with a limp. Minutes later, he was motionless on the Broncos sideline. This led to the game stopping as the former sixth-round pick was transported out of the stadium for more medical attention.
Badie had led the Broncos in rushing in their Week 3 win over the Bucs, totaling 70 yards on nine carries. With the team cutting Samaje Perine and placing rookie Audric Estime on IR, Badie assumed the RB3 role behind the team’s regulars. With Williams struggling over the team’s first three games, a role appeared to be opening up for a player who did not see any action in 2023. But Badie’s unfortunate setback Sunday will leave the Broncos shorthanded once again.
While Williams showed improvement against the Jets, the Broncos will be in need of another back to work behind he and McLaughlin. The most obvious candidate will be rookie UDFA Blake Watson, a dual-threat player out of Memphis and Old Dominion. Watson made the Broncos’ 53-man roster, most likely as the team feared he would not clear waivers, but has not been active for a game yet.
Chiefs’ Rashee Rice Aiming To Serve Suspension This Season?
After Andy Reid told CBS’ Tracy Wolfson that Rashee Rice‘s injury did not look good at halftime of the team’s Week 4 Chargers matchup, a report indicating the Chiefs feared a torn ACL emerged. Rice is now on IR, but no confirmation of a tear has surfaced.
Such silence is being categorized as Rice seeking a second opinion on his injured knee, but multiple other motivations could be in play here. The Chiefs could be holding off on Rice needing a season-ending surgery due to potential price increases from trade sellers, as the defending champs are expected to be in the market for help. Another reason for keeping Rice’s injury in-house could pertain to his off-field trouble.
[RELATED: Chiefs Considering Wide Receiver Acquisition]
Rice’s camp and the team may also have an interest in protecting his injury information, as Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio offers that the second-year wide receiver is aiming to resolve his personal conduct matter this year rather than drag out the process. Cynically, this would be an attempt to have Rice serve his punishment in 2024 — while he will be, in all likelihood, physically unable to play.
The wide receiver is facing eight felony charges in connection with a March hit-and-run incident, a six-car accident in Dallas that has drawn at least one civil suit against the SMU alum. Rice also punched a photographer in the face at a nightclub soon after. The photographer labeled it a misunderstanding and did not file charges. However, an NFL investigation into Rice also may include an incident while the receiver was still at SMU. Rice or a member of his party fired gunshots into the empty vehicle belonging to a Mustangs basketball player.
For an investigation covering all this to be completed in time for Rice to serve his entire suspension, one that will likely span four to six games, this season would be ambitious. This renewed effort on the wideout’s part also comes not long after a report indicated he was not expected to be suspended this season. The league reversing course now would probably not go over well with other teams, particularly ones who have seen key players taken off the field due to personal conduct policy suspensions. The Chiefs have developed an earned reputation for taking chances on character risks, with Rice being the AFC powerhouse’s latest major development on this front. But they have reaped rewards from the strategy, as players like Tyreek Hill, Frank Clark and Charles Omenihu accompany Rice in having contributed to Super Bowl-winning teams, doing so after Kareem Hunt won a rushing title.
Rice would obviously benefit from serving a ban this season, and Florio adds a settlement with Dallas prosecutors would be a way to expedite the process. A previous report indicated no Rice trial would occur before December, giving the talented pass catcher a runway to play this season.
The 2023 second-round pick was off to a strong start, operating as Kansas City’s clear-cut top pass catcher — despite the presence of future Hall of Famer Travis Kelce — in his three healthy games. Rice’s rookie deal runs through 2026, but if his expected suspension begins in Week 1 of next year, his second and third NFL seasons will feature extended absences. A smoother path to a big-ticket extension would naturally emerge if Rice is eligible to play the entire 2025 season.
The Chiefs are likely to augment their receiving situation soon, though it will also be interesting to see which teams are willing to deal with a franchise gunning for its third straight Super Bowl title. Clubs who are will probably operate under the assumption Rice is indeed out for the season, factoring that into their asking prices. A course reversal regarding when Rice and the Chiefs want this suspension to occur will have no bearing on how sellers handle trade negotiations.
DeAndre Hopkins Drawing Trade Interest
Although the Titans picked up their first win Monday night, they are 1-3 and in the first months of Brian Callahan‘s HC tenure. Callahan was not in Tennessee when the team won the DeAndre Hopkins sweepstakes last summer, and the accomplished wide receiver is in the second season of a two-year contract.
Naturally, Hopkins would be of interest to teams looking for help at the position. And interest is starting to pick up, with the Washington Post’s Jason La Canfora reporting teams are starting to gather intel on Hopkins ahead of the trade deadline.
With Hopkins in his age-32 season, clubs are determining how much he has left to offer, La Canfora adds. Despite coming to Tennessee after an injury-prone Arizona tenure, Hopkins moved past 1,000 yards last season — his seventh year in four-digit territory. He accumulated 1,057 yards and scored seven touchdowns, helping Will Levis show flashes during an inconsistent rookie season. Thus far this season, the 12th-year veteran has 10 receptions for 121 yards and one touchdown. Though, Hopkins did miss several weeks due to a knee injury this summer.
The Titans may still be interested in having Hopkins help Levis develop, as the team — despite winning Monday with Mason Rudolph at the helm — is still committed to the second-year QB. Tennessee threw considerable resources into bolstering its offense to determine Levis’ long-term viability this offseason, adding the likes of Lloyd Cushenberry, JC Latham and Tony Pollard. This effort also included a big-ticket Calvin Ridley deal and a one-year Tyler Boyd accord. With underachieving former first-rounder Treylon Burks still rostered, the Titans have a Hopkins replacement ready — if they deem an offer worthwhile.
Hopkins would not qualify as a player who would draw a Davante Adams-level offer, and the Jaguars putting Christian Kirk on the table would also likely fetch a higher price (Kirk is 28 and is signed through 2025). Hopkins profiles as a classic rental. The Titans stood down on interest in rental pieces like Derrick Henry and Denico Autry last year, with the team also holding onto Hopkins despite interest emerging. But the Titans are still in rebuilding mode. Of course, it was later reported Carthon was overruled on moving Henry last year. Carthon denied this, but the second-year GM — post-Mike Vrabel — now has full control. It would make sense for them to listen, especially with Burks rostered.
The Chiefs and Bills discussed Hopkins with the Cardinals last year, but the contract the Ravens gave Odell Beckham Jr. dissuaded the former first-team All-Pro from being amenable to taking a pay cut to facilitate a trade. The Cardinals the released Hopkins. Despite offers from the Patriots and Chiefs, Hopkins wound up in Nashville. He said earlier this year he would like to finish his career there, but a reasonable trade proposal could change that.
It would stand to reason Buffalo and Kansas City would be interested, having done extensive work on Hopkins last year. The Bills did not appear finalists for Hopkins when his free agency concluded, but the Chiefs were. Kansas City also is almost definitely not acquiring Adams, as the Raiders are unlikely to entertain dealing their top receiver to the best team in their own division. Other suitors — like the Steelers and Ravens, to name two — figure to be interested. The teams who miss out on Adams will be looking into options like Hopkins, Kirk, Amari Cooper and Darius Slayton.
With the Titans in their bye week, Hopkins has more than $6MM left in base salary this season. The Titans could pay some of that to increase compensation, but that salary will factor into negotiations — if/once they end up taking place. While Adams will be the top WR piece in trade rumors before the November 5 deadline, Hopkins figures to become a key consolation prize.
Hall Of Fame G Billy Shaw Dies At 85
Billy Shaw, a member of both Bills American Football League-winning teams in the mid-1960s, died Friday. He was 85. Shaw holds the distinction of being the only player enshrined in the Hall of Fame whose career occurred entirely in the AFL.
Helping Buffalo to back-to-back AFL titles in 1964 and ’65, Shaw was a starting guard throughout a nine-year career spent only with the Bills. He earned first-team All-AFL honors in five consecutive seasons, with that stretch overlapping with Buffalo dominance in the upstart league.
“Billy Shaw holds the distinction of being the only member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame to play his entire career in the American Football League, but while that fact is worthy of noting and nice to recite, it comes nowhere near providing the reason he was elected as a member of the Class of 1999,” Hall President Jim Porter said. “Billy’s all-around athleticism brought a new dimension to the guard position and made the 1960s Buffalo Bills a formidable opponent capable of bruising opponents with a punishing rushing attack.”
A 1961 second-round Bills pick, Shaw went ninth overall; the AFL began as an eight-team league. The Georgia Tech alum was also a 14th-round Cowboys choice — during the six-year period in which the leagues held separate drafts. He joined the Bills for $11K, with a $5K signing bonus and a new car included in the deal. Shaw soon became a fixture at left guard for a Bills line tasked with protecting quarterback Jack Kemp or paving lanes for fullback Cookie Gilchrist during the team’s 1960s heyday.
Although the Bills franchise is best known for its four straight AFC crowns and Super Bowl losses in the early 1990s, the franchise prevailed on the biggest stage decades earlier. As Kemp powered Lou Saban‘s team to a 22-5-1 record from 1964-65, Shaw was the only Bills offensive player to earn first-team All-AFL honors in both seasons.
The Bills, who halted a potential Chargers AFL dynasty by beating them for both the 1964 and ’65 championships, lost to the Chiefs for the right to trek to the first Super Bowl. Shaw kept rolling, collecting first-team All-AFL honors in 1966 and second-team acclaim in ’68. Shaw started 116 career games, not missing a contest until his seventh season. By decade’s end, the Natchez, Miss., native was the only Bills offensive player to land on the AFL’s All-Decade first team.
AFC East Notes: Rodgers, Saleh, Pats, Bills
Aaron Rodgers‘ first season as a healthy quarterback, for all intents and purposes, under Robert Saleh has not started off on a smooth track. The incident in which the future Hall of Fame quarterback appeared to push the fourth-year Jets HC away following a Week 3 touchdown preceded a sequence in which Saleh’s views on the team’s Week 4 false-start penalties did not align with Rodgers’. Saleh entered the season on probably the AFC’s hottest seat, and Rodgers’ return represented the only reason ownership left the current power structure in play. So far, Rodgers is downplaying a rift exists.
“I think there’s some driving force to try and put a wedge [from] outside the facility between Robert and I,” Rodgers said, via the New York Post’s Brian Costello. “But, you know, we’re really good friends. We enjoy each other and we spend time [together]. Almost every day, I’m in his office talking about things and talking about the energy of the team, the focus of the team, what we need to get done, how I can help him out, how he can help me out. So we’ve got a great relationship.”
Rumblings about Rodgers-Saleh friction trace back to the embattled New York HC fining the QB for his trip to Egypt, which occurred during Gang Green’s minicamp. How not fining Rodgers would look to the locker room was at the root of that minor penalty, but the instances of perceived friction between coach and player are piling up. Rodgers’ denial probably will not do too much to cool down this plot, especially as the Jets struggle for consistency.
Here is the latest from the AFC East:
- Jerod Mayo warned of consequences for Rhamondre Stevenson, who has fumbled in each game this season. The recently extended Patriots back has received both public and private warnings about his RB1 status if this fumbling persists. “That’s definitely under consideration,” Mayo said of a demotion. “I’ve had multiple conversations with Rhamondre. But look, we can’t preach that ball security is job security and still have him out there the majority of the time.” Bill Belichick‘s leash was memorably shorter for fumble-prone RBs, but Mayo’s patience is now running thin. The 1-3 Pats gave Stevenson a four-year, $38MM extension this offseason, with $17.12MM fully guaranteed.
- Mayo cited the Patriots’ offensive line issues when discussing Drake Maye‘s limited participation to open the preseason, and the team has suffered additional blows up front since. Starting four left tackles in four games, the Pats have missed guard starter Sidy Sow for part of this season and been without Cole Strange throughout. They have since placed third-round rookie Caedan Wallace on IR and are set to play without 10th-year center David Andrews the rest of the way. Pushing back on the notion New England’s O-line issues factor into why Maye is still behind Jacoby Brissett, OC Alex Van Pelt said (via the Boston Herald’s Doug Kyed) that is not part of the team’s consideration. Maye began seeing first-team practice reps early this season, but the team is starting Brissett for a fifth game. The No. 3 overall pick almost definitely will play this season, though the Pats do not exactly have a good situation for a rookie QB.
- Von Miller likely received his four-game suspension for the arrest on a charge of assaulting a pregnant person, despite the Bills edge rusher and his girlfriend — the alleged victim — denying any crime occurred. That said, The Athletic’s Tim Graham notes the Bills are not entirely sure why Miller was suspended. The team received word a suspension was coming days before it was official, Sean McDermott said. (via ESPN.com’s Alaina Getzenberg). Nearly two years removed from his second ACL tear, Miller (three sacks) is playing much better than he did last year. The subject of a suspension voiding guarantees is now moot, as Miller’s 2024 salary is locked in (as a vested veteran); no guarantees remain for 2025 or 2026.
- Kyle Dugger sustained an ankle injury, but ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler notes the recently extended Patriots safety avoided a major issue. Dugger still could miss time for a reeling Pats team, though an IR stint may not be necessary.
Cowboys Will Not Pursue Davante Adams Trade
OCTOBER 3: During an appearance on San Antonio Sports Star, Cowboys EVP Stephen Jones confirmed an Adams pursuit will not be taking place (h/t Jon Machota of The Athletic). With Lamb on the books and Parsons in need of an extension next offseason, taking on Adams’ deal and agreeing to a restructure would be challenging. Adams’ preference is the Jets anyway, and the Raiders will likely have stronger offers than what Dallas would have been willing to make.
OCTOBER 2: In the hours since the Davante Adams trade rumors began to swirl, the Cowboys emerged as a team that inquired about the standout Raiders wide receiver. While that may well be true, Dallas does not appear a serious player.
The Cowboys are not expected to pursue an Adams trade, with All City DLLS’ Clarence Hill going as far as to indicate the team has shown “no interest” in the 11th-year receiver. This comes after the team shot down interest in acquiring a running back or defensive end via trade.
Dallas received strong value from its 2018 trade with Oakland for Amari Cooper, who helped the ’18 Cowboys edition craft a second-half turnaround to the playoffs and stayed through the 2021 season. The Cowboys bailed on Cooper’s five-year contract, dealing it to the Browns, but have been searching for WR help since. Although CeeDee Lamb has soared onto the All-Pro tier post-Cooper, the Cowboys have not possessed too much depth at the position since that swap.
An Adams trade would reunite him with Mike McCarthy, the Packers’ HC for the first four-plus seasons of the All-Pro’s career. The Packers employed McCarthy as HC when they extended Adams in 2017, though his jump onto the All-Pro level came during Matt LaFleur‘s tenure. Adams played as a third wheel behind Jordy Nelson and Randall Cobb to start his career but began to ascend in the late 2010s. McCarthy’s current team is not set to be the destination for Adams’ late prime.
This Adams news comes shortly after Brandin Cooks was ruled out for Week 5; the player the Cowboys eventually settled on to replace Cooper is battling a knee injury stemming from an infection. Cooks has not provided the Cowboys with the level of play he reached at his previous four stops, but he has been sporadically effective. The Cowboys have used 2022 third-rounder Jalen Tolbert more this season as well; the South Alabama alum has played 75% of Dallas’ offensive snaps. With Cooks out for the time being, Tolbert will continue to see regular usage. McCarthy said Wednesday he is comfortable with his in-house options at WR, though the fifth-year Dallas HC cannot exactly say he wants Adams in Dallas due to the NFL’s tampering policy.
It cost the Cowboys a first-round pick to acquire Cooper in 2018; Adams may be moved for a second-rounder (or less) due to his age (32 in December) and contract status. Adams is tied to a prorated $16.9MM base salary. Though, the Raiders can follow some recent teams by picking up some of Adams’ tab to increase trade compensation. Two nonguaranteed years remain on Adams’ extension, though the Cowboys just handed out two top-market deals and have another (Micah Parsons‘) on the horizon. Regardless, it appears the Cowboys will not be part of this conversation.
Jets, Cowboys Inquire On Raiders’ Davante Adams; Bills, Saints, Steelers In Mix
Early in the Davante Adams market, the obvious trade suitor does look to be readying a pursuit. Linked to the wide receiver since acquiring Aaron Rodgers, the Jets are in on the disgruntled Raiders wide receiver.
They have reached out to the Raiders on Adams, according to The Athletic’s Dianna Russini, who adds the Cowboys have done the same in what may be a drawn-out sweepstakes. Adams also would be interested in joining the Jets, as veteran NFL reporter Jordan Schultz indicates they are one of his preferred destinations.
Rodgers has been lobbying the Jets to make the move, per Sportskeeda’s Tony Pauline, who indicates teams beyond New York and Dallas are expected to be part of this derby. It is not known how interested other teams are just yet, but Pauline notes the Bills, Saints and Steelers join the Jets in being the most interested parties presently.
Seeking a package worth a second-round pick and change, the Raiders are prepared to wait. While Adams wants out now and has been frustrated about his situation dating back to the Raiders’ Jimmy Garoppolo signing, the team has more than a month until this year’s trade deadline, which was moved back one week — to November 5 — via an offseason vote. It appears unlikely Adams will suit up before that point.
As the Raiders seek a second-rounder-headlined package, Pauline floats that a first-round choice being put on the table would move the deal across the goal line. Though, Adams is a high-priced player who will turn 32 before season’s end. Still, he probably will be the top wide receiver available ahead of this year’s deadline.
Despite looming as an obvious trade candidate dating back to last season, Adams had repeatedly indicated he did not want to be moved. That has since changed, with the situation escalating. Antonio Pierce liking an Instagram post about a potential Adams trade has apparently catalyzed these proceedings. Adams officially requested a trade Monday, per The Athletic’s Vic Tafur. Pierce is set to address this situation later today, but Schultz adds Adams’ camp approached the Raiders about a potential trade last season but stopped short of an official request. Adams played out the season, but the Raiders have drifted further away from the championship radar, which Pauline notes is a lead factor in the WR wanting out.
Adams has appeared out of place in Las Vegas, with the team’s decision to jettison Derek Carr one season into the wide receiver’s tenure planting seeds for this relationship’s deterioration. After spending his entire Green Bay career with Rodgers, Adams has seen the Raiders cycle through a few QBs. The Garoppolo fit, as Netflix’s Receiver showed, proved the most problematic. But the Aidan O’Connell and Gardner Minshew stopgaps — as a Pierce-driven effort to trade up for Jayden Daniels did not come close to fruition — leave the 11th-year wideout in limbo. Teams have undoubtedly observed this as well, and this trade request will ignite one of the most interesting trade races in recent memory.
As the Bills, Saints, Steelers and Cowboys loom as well, the obvious issue that would impede a fit with the Chiefs will make such a move a nonstarter. Kansas City is not expected be an option for Vegas re: Adams, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter. While the Chiefs are suddenly in need of a difference-making receiver after losing Rashee Rice and Marquise Brown, the Raiders being division rivals will not lead to any traction with Adams.
The Saints would appeal to Adams, Schefter adds. This would again reunite Adams with Carr, his longtime friend and former Fresno State teammate. New Orleans is 2-2, thanks to two impressive wins and two narrow losses, and a need for a wideout presence alongside Chris Olave and Rashid Shaheed has existed dating back to the offseason. New Orleans only holds $2.8MM in cap space, but GM Mickey Loomis has proven adept at working around such hindrances. Adams also counts Saints wide receivers coach Keith Williams, who has been the receiver’s personal coach in the offseason, as a mentor, Schefter adds.
The Bills are also near the bottom in cap space, at $3.7MM. The Raiders can also pick up some of Adams’ base salary (a prorated $16.9MM) to improve trade compensation. Buffalo has attempted to play four weeks without a No. 1-level wide receiver, though Khalil Shakir has been effective and second-rounder Keon Coleman has shown promise. The Bills were in on DeAndre Hopkins before trading Stefon Diggs in 2023, however, and should be expected to kick the tires on receivers before the deadline. The Steelers memorably missed out on Brandon Aiyuk, despite agreeing to trade parameters with the 49ers. Adams would fit on an offense that features only one eight-figure-per-year contract (Pat Freiermuth‘s recent extension). While the Steelers are not known for splashy WR acquisitions, the Aiyuk pursuit shows they were ready to change that reputation.
Dallas has been lacking in CeeDee Lamb support since trading Amari Cooper, with its long-running Odell Beckham Jr. pursuit in 2022 and subsequent Brandin Cooks trade highlighting interest in augmenting its WR situation. Cooks and Adams were 2014 draft classmates, though the latter has proven to be a higher-tier receiver. He would certainly help a team that, thanks to the Lamb and Dak Prescott extensions, carries $23.8MM in cap space. The Cowboys have not shown interest in acquiring high-profile vets at other positions this season, but they appear willing to consider making an exception for Adams.
Circling back to the Jets, their HC-GM combo being on a hot seat — along with the perception this is currently a Rodgers-centric operation — makes them an obvious suitor. It would surprise if the team did not make an aggressive move here, even after signing Mike Williams in March. Rodgers said this summer he was eager to play with his former No. 1 target again, and the QB has not formed strong chemistry with Garrett Wilson just yet. The Jets carry $16.8MM in cap space.
This quintet each making an offer would strengthen the Raiders’ position, and 2025 draft capital would help the franchise’s 2025 QB pursuit. Adams will become $970K cheaper for a team to acquire as the weeks pass — on a contract featuring two high nonguaranteed 2025 and ’26 salaries ($35.6MM, $36.6MM) — and this may well be the top trade sweepstakes to monitor over the next month.