In a recent article by NFL insider Dan Graziano of ESPN, he made some bold predictions heading into the 2023 NFL season. One of which was that the Raiders could consider shopping Davante Adams before the trade deadline if the team struggles out of the gate.
Here is a snippet of what Graziano had to say about the All-Pro receiver for the Raiders and the likelihood that he could be dealt this year:
I’m not saying they’ll trade him. I don’t know if they’d even consider it. But the Raiders are likely going to be terrible this season, and Adams went there to play with a quarterback who got benched before Adams’ first season with the team ended and is now in New Orleans.
If he doesn’t believe he fits in the Jimmy Garoppolo-led offense, and if the Raiders’ season gets off to a bad start, Adams could absolutely start making noise about wanting out. And coach Josh McDaniels has never been shy about trading away players he doesn’t believe fit his program.
Why we aren’t saying that Adams has zero chance of being traded this year, it feels very, very unlikely. Adams has always been a team-first player and it doesn’t make a lot of sense to move him during the year. If they are going to trade Adams, doing so during the 2024 offseason makes much more sense, if that’s the route they decide to go.
But the Raiders want to be competitive this year and having Adams on the roster gives them the best chance to do so. And with Josh McDaniels already on the hot seat, giving up their best offensive player certainly won’t help them win many games.
Don’t expect Adams to get traded during the 2024 season unless disaster strikes in Las Vegas.