Davante Adams trade: Insider notes on Raiders' asking price, WR's reunion with Aaron Rodgers at Jets and more
As we move down the stretch of the NFL season, multiple teams are fighting for playoff spots while others are preparing for draft positioning. Several teams have already let their plans for next season be known, albeit through third-party sources. This includes the New York Jets.
It was widely reported that the Jets were one of a handful of teams that attempted to acquire the Las Vegas Raiders receiver Davante Adams just prior to the trade deadline in November. Soon after this revelation, Adam Schefter of ESPN reported that the Jets will pursue Adams again, this time in the offseason. Given the relationship between Adams and quarterback Aaron Rodgers, this makes perfect sense.
Last year from the Senior Bowl, I reported that Adams was trying to recruit Rodgers to the Raiders. Sure enough, 24 hours after my report, Adams tweeted out much the same and implied he was working to bring his former quarterback to Las Vegas. I’m told the roles have been reversed and Rodgers is hoping, if not covertly working, to have Adams in a Jets uniform in 2024.
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Will the Raiders move on from Davante Adams?
As I reported last month, Mark Davis and the Raiders value Adams not only as a player but as a locker-room leader and personality. The franchise values his character makeup as much as it does his football production. Adams was one of the first people Davis and his confidants contacted to inform him of the firing of Josh McDaniels before the news reached the media.
And while we don’t know what the Las Vegas front office and coaching staff will look like in 2024, I’m confident in saying that the Raiders won’t actively shop their coveted receiver, rather the decision to move on from the franchise will be up to Adams.
I’m told Adams is comfortable on the west coast and happy with the Raiders franchise. He continues to like what he sees from rookie quarterback Aidan O’Connell, something I originally reported November 4. If he’s going to be traded, it will be to a team Adams feels can win a Super Bowl, just about the only thing missing from his NFL resume.
What would a Davante Adams trade cost the Jets?
Assuming Adams feels he is the final piece to make the Jets a Super Bowl contender, expect the cost to be significant, especially since the Raiders have all the leverage.
People tell me the asking price for Adams will be two first-round picks from the New York Jets, but it would likely be reduced to a first and a second-round pick. Remember, as of now, the Raiders are not looking to trade Adams. Such a trade would be impossible for the Jets unless the Raiders are willing to accept a second-round choice in the 2025 NFL draft.
The Jets’ selection in Round 2 in the upcoming draft is presently owned by the Green Bay Packers as part of the Aaron Rodgers trade. The Packers would have owned the Jets selection in the first round, had Rodgers played more than 65% of the snaps this season. But a torn Achilles during the first drive of the season ended that possibility.
Handing over a first-round pick in this year’s draft may be a little too rich for the Jets, even in exchange for an All-Pro wideout like Adams. The team presently holds the sixth pick of the draft and will more than likely end up with a top-10 selection.
With holes all over the offensive line that desperately need to be filled in order to protect Rodgers, the possibility of drafting a potentially outstanding offensive tackle such as Joe Alt of Notre Dame or perhaps Penn State’s Olumuyiwa Fashanu could make handing a first-round pick to the Raiders a non-starter.