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Will Raiders WR Davante Adams be traded before the trade deadline? What are the best landing spots? Mitch gives the fantasy football outlook.
WR Davante Adams is 30 years old, and he is still at the top of his game. He wants to win, and he's not winning on the Raiders.
Adams has done his part. He has caught 25 passes for 322 yards and three touchdowns in three games. The Raiders, however, are not so good. They only beat the Broncos by one point in Week 1, and Raiders coach Josh McDaniels was accused of choking away the game against the Steelers last week.
Adams wants to win. Fantasy managers who start Adams want him to play for a team with a strong passing attack. What landing spots would be good for Davante Adams if he were to be traded?
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How Did Davante Adams End Up in Las Vegas?
Davante Adams had played eight years for the Green Bay Packers from 2014 until 2021 and was coming off a career-high season with 123 catches for 1,553 yards. He was widely regarded as the most talented wide receiver in the NFL and wanted to be paid like it.
In 2021, DeAndre Hopkins was the highest-paid receiver with an average annual value (AAV) of $27.25 million. The Packers and Adams disagreed about the accounting. Sources say the Packers front office viewed Hopkins' true AAV as being less than $27 million per year. In any case, the two sides couldn't agree to a deal, and Adams wasn't willing to play for anything less.
"It’s not about being a baby, but what other profession do you take less than what you have earned? That’s not how it goes. The fans may see it different in certain ways, and I’m sure there’s a lot of fans that see it the same way that myself, my family, my agent and most of the league sees it. I’m not a baby, so I’m not going to not show up, and I’m not complaining about it," Adams said in July 2022.
The Packers traded Adams to the Raiders, where he reunited with his friend Derek Carr, who was his college quarterback for two years at Fresno State.
Why is Davante Adams Frustrated With the Raiders?
Davante Adams was not happy with how the Raiders treated Derek Carr last season. They benched him with two games left in the season and then cut him.
They say winning cures all. If the Raiders were winning now, you might not hear any more negative things from Adams. But when the Raiders are 1-2 and averaging 15.0 points per game, the third-fewest in the league, things aren't so rosy.
After the Week 3 loss to the Steelers, Adams said, "I don't have time to wait around. ... Use their other games to try and establish our identity, and we not doing things the right way to establish a winning culture early in the season so we got to do something to turn that around.”
What Landing Spots Are Best For Davante Adams?
Analysts and pundits have posited trade locations for the Raiders' star WR. Possible landing spots include the Baltimore Ravens, the New England Patriots, the Cleveland Browns, the Detroit Lions, and the Green Bay Packers.
Obviously, some teams are better situated to maximize Adams' potential than others. But Adams is so good that he will remain a WR1 no matter where he might end up.
Over the past three years, Adams has produced 100-yard games with Aaron Rodgers, Derek Carr, Jarrett Stidham, and Jimmy Garoppolo behind center. I wouldn't be excited about it, but I think Adams would still go for well over 1,000 yards even with Mac Jones throwing him the ball.
But if you ask me, teams that should inquire about Adams include the Buffalo Bills, the Los Angeles Chargers, or the Dallas Cowboys. The Bills are a Super Bowl contender, but they lack a consistent WR2. Furthermore, they must contend with the Miami Dolphins for the AFC East title. By adding Adams, they could create an offense that can keep up with the Fins.
The Chargers have the No. 3 passing offense through three weeks, but WR Mike Williams tore his ACL last week. Adams would give the Chargers an even better option to replace Williams.
The Dallas Cowboys looked unstoppable in their first two weeks, but they lost to the Cardinals last week, and QB Dak Prescott just isn't able to elevate the team without help. Brandin Cooks was supposed to be the new WR2, but he has only caught four passes for 39 yards through three games.
All is a rumor now, and as long as Adams is suiting up with the Raiders, he is still a must-start. But keep your eyes and ears open for news. If anything, an Adams trade would probably impact his new QB's value more than it would his own fantasy value.
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