Ravens’ John Harbaugh Gives 4-Word Response to Davante Adams Trade Rumors

Getty The Baltimore Ravens have a simple answer for any Davante Adams trade rumors.

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here’s a six-time Pro-Bowl wide receiver who wants to be traded, so surely the Baltimore Ravens are scrambling to put a deal together for Davante Adams, right? Well, not exactly.

Not according to head coach John Harbaugh, who gave a succinct and defiant answer to a question about the three-time first-team All-Pro wideout for the Las Vegas Raiders. Harbaugh simply said, “We love our guys,” when asked about Adams on Wednesday, October 2, per ESPN’s Jamison Hensley.

That’s a bold statement when Baltimore’s “guys” are second-year pro Zay Flowers, journeyman Nelson Agholor and rookie Devontez Walker. There’s no denying Adams, arguably the most nuanced route runner in the NFL, would be a major upgrade, but there are good reasons for the Ravens to avoid these particular sweepstakes.

Davante Adams Trade a Risk for Ravens

There are two obvious risks for the Ravens pursuing a deal for Adams. Those risks concern finances and playing style.

A pesky dollars problem isn’t going away. Not when the Ravens have just $4,627,393 worth of space under the salary cap, according to Spotrac.com.

Of course, “just” is a relative term when dealing with millions, but Ravens general manager Eric DeCosta would need to get creative to accommodate Adams’ contract. The 31-year-old’s “salary for this season is $17.5 million, with $13.5 million still owed through the end of the season. And while he is under contract for 2025 and 2026, his annual salary jumps to $36.25 million for each of those seasons,” per Hensley’s colleagues Paul Gutierrez, Rich Cimini and Katherine Terrell.

A restructure is inevitable, but the Ravens may struggle to engineer one. Perhaps things could change, since Agholor and ageing left tackle Ronnie Stanley are the only notable free agents for 2025, but the Ravens should still be reluctant to make the effort when their offense is far from geared to letting Adams play his best football.

Run-Heavy Offense Hardly WR Friendly

Adams is a dominant catch machine when he’s at his best. He’s posted four-straight 1,000-yard seasons because No. 17 demands the ball and gets the ball.

That might not happen as often in Baltimore, despite the presence of two-time NFL MVP Lamar Jackson playing quarterback. Jackson’s arguably the most dynamic athlete in the pros at football’s most important position, but he is also somebody who spends a lot of his time handing off to running backs.

Specifically, Derrick Henry has had 49 rushing attempts in his last two games, both Ravens wins. Henry is becoming the focal point of the offense. So much so, Jackson’s favorite receiver, All-Pro tight end Mark Andrews, has been starved of targets.

Adams wouldn’t want his workload to diminish in the same way. It’s little wonder his preferred destinations are the New Orleans Saints and New York Jets, according to ESPN’s Schefter.

The Saints are fronted by Derek Carr, Adams’ college quarterback at Fresno State. Meanwhile, a move to the Jets would reunite Adams with Aaron Rodgers for a chance to rekindle the magic they produced once upon a time for the Green Bay Packers.

Adams would have a better chance catching his Super Bowl window before it shuts if he joined the Ravens. Yet he’d also likely soon be left bemoaning a lack of targets and leaving DeCosta and Harbaugh to pacify a disgruntled, pricey player.