The Las Vegas Raiders thought they had the quarterback-wide receiver tandem of their future when they acquired Davante Adams from Green Bay to pair with franchise quarterback Derek Carr. But, it hasn’t worked that way.
The Las Vegas Raiders moved on from Derek Carr after a disappointing season in 2022 that saw the team struggle out of the gate and never really get back in contention at any point in the season en route to a 6-11 season under first-year head coach Josh McDaniels.
Davante Adams was as-advertised, though. After a tremendous stretch in Green Bay in which he ended his stint there with five straight Pro Bowls and two All-Pro seasons, Davante Adams made another first-team All-Pro with the Raiders in 2022. He had 100 catches for 1,516 yards and 14 touchdowns, quite the season.
But, the team is heading toward a potential rebuild and brought in Jimmy Garoppolo to compete at quarterback. And, it may be a good time to get rid of Davante Adams for some future assets. Recent comments by Adams has helped spark the conversation as well. Here’s Pro Football Talk with more.
But let’s not forget June 1. The Raiders could, in theory, trade Adams after June 1, limited the cap charge to $7.85 million this year and $23.6 million in 2024. Alternatively, he could be traded after June 1, 2024, once again cutting the cap charge to $7.85 million, and kicking $15.7 million to 2025.
Adams has a manageable salary of $6.03 million in 2023; he already has received a $20 million roster bonus. If Adams’s agitation is enough to get the Raiders to move on, they could do so with a reasonable cap consequence this year, and a larger (but not crippling) one in 2024.
The money that makes up the $31.4 million in total cap charges has already been spent. It’s gone. Those cap dollars will count against the Raiders’ cap, sooner or later.
If the things Adams said are enough to persuade the organization to move on, it would not be impossible to do so. The question is whether that’s what the team chooses to do — and whether that’s the outcome Adams is trying to instigate.
So where would he go, if traded? The Jets surely don’t have a spot for him, not with so many solid receivers on the roster. The Saints would be an intriguing option, allowing for another reunion with Derek Carr .
Fascinating possibilities, as contenders go, include the Bills and Giants.
Regardless, a trade is not an impossibility. The cap consequence is manageable, and the current cap charge is unavoidable.
Very interesting indeed.