Getty Davante Adams of the Las Vegas Raiders.
The Las Vegas Raiders aren’t expected to have a very good season. In their July 24 predictions for every NFL team’s record, USA Today predicted the Raiders to win just three games in 2023.
All-Pro wide receiver Davante Adams isn’t used to losing and last season was just the third time he’s missed the playoffs in a nine-year career. The team swapped out Derek Carr for Jimmy Garoppolo this offseason, but Adams wasn’t shy about the fact that he wanted Aaron Rodgers in Las Vegas.
There’s still a chance he’ll be able to reunite with the four-time MVP quarterback. Fox Sports’ Craig Carton dropped a major hint about what Adams’ future could look like.
“I guarantee you there will be reports coming out of Vegas that Davante Adams will want out,” Carton said on the July 27 episode of “The Carton Show.” “And guess where he would want to go?”
Carton then confirmed the New York Jets as a potential landing spot. A lot would need to happen for the Raiders to trade Adams considering he has a $54.3 million dead cap hit this year.
Shortly after Carton’s report gained traction, Tony Pauline of Sportskeeda shut down the idea of Adams forcing a trade.
“Members of Davante Adams’ team poured cold water on any rumors the receiver is looking to be traded out of Las Vegas,” Pauline wrote in a July 28 column. “In fact, they characterized all reports of Adams being unhappy in Vegas and wanting to be traded as ‘complete garbage'”
Aaron Rodgers Just Took Major Pay Cut
In the event a Davante Adams to the Jets trade could materialize, Aaron Rodgers just made things easier. According to a July 26 tweet from NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, Rodgers and the Jets reworked his contract to a two-year, $75 million fully guaranteed deal.
The #Jets signed four-time NFL MVP Aaron Rodgers to a new two-year, $75 million guaranteed contract through the 2024 season, per NFL salary data.
Rodgers had nearly $110M guaranteed remaining on his old deal in GB. He’s taking less for a shot at a ring (or two) in New York.
Rodgers was previously guaranteed $110 million so he’s taking a $35 million pay cut. Adams’ cap hit is just $14.7 million this season, which is a manageable number for the Jets to make work if a trade becomes possible. It’s highly unlikely the Raiders would consider trading Adams this time of the year but if the season gets off to a rough start, anything could be possible. There’s no reason to keep a 30-year-old wide receiver as part of a rebuild.
Analyst Predicts Decline in Production for Davante Adams
Davante Adams is coming off of a strong 2022 season where he was third in the NFL with 1,516 receiving yards and first with 14 touchdown receptions. However, it could be difficult to sustain his production with Jimmy Garoppolo now taking over at quarterback.
In a June 29 column for Pro Football Focus, Judah Fortgang predicted that Adams will finish with less than 1,325.5 receiving yards.
“Some of the underlying data shows that perhaps Adams is on the decline as he enters his 30s,” Fortgang wrote. “His separation numbers have been trending down for a few years, and his yards per route run average just declined for a second straight season.
“But this bet is as much about the context in Vegas as it is about Adams and the inevitable decline as he ages. The star wideout spent most of last year as the lone healthy target, but this year the team has Hunter Renfrow at full health, and they also signed Jakobi Meyers — who has commanded a 25% target share during his career — to a huge deal this offseason.”
Adams has accumulated more than 1,325.5 receiving yards in each of the past three seasons so anything less would be a disappointment. It’s difficult to know what the Raiders offense will look like with Garoppolo at the helm.