Davante Adams is unlikely to play in Week 5, but the matter of his hamstring injury is a minor element to his ongoing storyline. The Raiders continue to have discussions tied to dealing the All-Pro wideout to a new team, although an expected suitor is in place as his target. 
Adams wants to play with the Jets, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports. That update comes as no surprise considering the mutual interest showed by both Adams and Aaron Rodgers to reunite in New York. The Jets are among the numerous teams which have inquired about a deal, and reporting from yesterday tapped them as the favorites to pull off a trade. Other suitors remain in the running, though.
Rapoport notes Adams has not insisted to the Raiders he will only go to New York, adding other teams appeal to him as well. The Saints, Steelers, Bills and Cowboys are teams which have had conversations about a deal, although Dallas is no longer believed to be interested in adding the 31-year-old. Rapoport lists the Ravens and 49ers as destinations Adams could be amenable to. San Francisco currently leads the league in cap space ($56.74MM), while Baltimore has just $4.31MM and would need to execute a number of maneuvers to made an Adams deal feasible.
Any acquiring team would take on a prorated portion of the Fresno State product’s $16.89MM base salary (along with $30K in weekly roster bonuses) to fit him into their 2024 cap structure. Two more years remain on Adams’ deal, but a restructure resulting in guaranteed money for 2025 and beyond along with a drop in cap hits is expected regardless of where he winds up. The Raiders could increase the value of draft pick compensation coming back in a trade by retaining some salary. The Athletic’s Dianna Russini names the Bills and Chiefs as suitors monitoring the market which could make a more notable push in the event Vegas were to absorb some of the outstanding compensation.
While it would certainly be notable if Kansas City – a team which could use an addition at the receiver spot – were to emerge as a legitimate contender for an intra-divisional deal, Rapoport reports the Raiders are prepared to take the highest offer they receive. That may still come from the Jets (who currently have $16.81MM in cap space), but stronger bids from Derek Carr‘s Saints or another team would complicate efforts on New York’s part to work out an agreement. The Raiders’ asking price reportedly starts with a second-round pick, but that would change if salary retention were to be brought into the equation.
Adams was sidelined for Week 4, and ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports he is not expected to play this week against the Broncos. Russini adds Adams could be back to full health in time for Week 6 if he does not encounter any setbacks. If the former second-rounder is at full strength before a trade is worked out, Rapoport notes Adams could continue playing for Vegas, something which appeared to be in store for the rest of the campaign until earlier this week.
Rapoport adds nothing is imminent on the trade front at this time. Given Adams’ openness to moving on and the Raiders’ willingness to seek out his market amongst interested parties, though, the possibility remains this situation will see a resolution before the November 5 trade deadline which results in a change of scenery. If the Raiders remain committed to taking the best offer on the table, it will be interesting to see how urgently the Jets pursue a deal.
