Over the last two years, the New York Jets have tried to move heaven and earth to acquire Las Vegas Raiders All-Pro wide receiver Davante Adams.
So far, they’ve been unsuccessful, but that doesn’t mean they’ll continue to be.
As the start of training camp creeps closer, the Jets and their top offensive stars remain consistent in their approach to try and lure the three-time first-team All-Pro to Florham Park. Today, we’ll explore the ramifications that have to happen before a deal is made and what that deal can look like.
Potential Jets Trade Offers for Davante Adams
The likes of Aaron Rodgers, Breece Hall, and even Garrett Wilson have tried in the last few weeks to talk a potential deal for Adams into existence.
“I think we should go all-in,” Hall told Kay Adams on the Up And Adams Show. “I’m on board. I mean, with him, with Garrett and Mike Williams. Just pick your poison. Do you want me to beat you, or do you want those two beating you with Aaron? Pick your poison.”
#Jets RB Breece Hall on the "possibility" of WR Davante Adams joining the team… 👀🔊
"You never know… we're always talking, we're always scheming. I'm on board." @nyjets @tae15adams @BreeceH @AaronRodgers12 @heykayadams #JetUp pic.twitter.com/3z5FhG6VrX
— Up & Adams (@UpAndAdamsShow) July 12, 2024
Even Rodgers spoke on the idea of Adams, saying, “I love Davante. Can’t wait to play with him…again,” at the American Century Championships in Lake Tahoe last week.
Many players are pushing the Jets to acquire the current Raiders wide receiver, but that’s not the only way New York is staying involved in trade circles. Speaking on 101.9 WFAN in New York City, former Jets quarterback and radio host Boomer Esiason explained that he believes an eventual deal between the Raiders and Jets will happen in the coming months.
“The dead cap for the Raiders this year is $40 million [if they traded him]. I’m hearing that this is gonna happen — if it does happen — in late August or early September,” Esiason said. “And the cap hit for him is $25 million.”
Despite Esiason’s opinion and the push from many in the Jets organization, a lot would have to happen for Adams to become a member of Gang Green in the next few months.
First, the team would have to create over $30 million in total cap space in the next month. New York currently has just over $6 million in space and room to make over $30 million. They would also have to address the current contract status of Pro Bowl edge rusher Haason Reddick first.
MORE: Pro Football Network’s Top 100 NFL Players of 2024
Adams would then need to change his stance on the Raiders promptly after those moves are made. While Netflix’s streaming session of their latest hit show, “Receiver,” shows Adams wary of Las Vegas’ quarterback situation, he was a big defender of Antonio Pierce receiving the head coaching job.
Publicly, Adams has been perfectly fine with the way things are in Las Vegas. Should a deal get done, though, what would a trade look like for both the Jets and Raiders?
2025 First-Round, 2025 Third-Round Picks for Davante Adams
The Raiders don’t want to move Adams unless multiple first-round picks are given. While the Jets won’t want to give up the farm on a player over 30 years old like this, giving up a first-round pick in 2025 could be the path of least resistance.
Remember, if the Jets can stay in championship contention by the time of the trade deadline, whatever first-round pick they give up will be in the later portion of the draft. That means it would cost more than simply a single first-rounder at the very least.
It’s also important to remember that, as part of their 2024 draft capital, New York acquired an additional third-round pick in a Day 3 trade. That extra third could be enough to entice the Raiders to ship out Adams to the place that is moving everything possible to get him there.
2025 and 2026 Second-Round Picks for Adams
Market values for players are always important to understand for blockbuster trades like Adams would be. In that regard, the Buffalo Bills acquired a 2025 second-round pick in the trade of Stefon Diggs.
MORE: Will Your Favorite NFL Team Make the Playoffs? Try Our Playoff Predictor
While Adams may not be as outspoken as Diggs has been over his career, a second-round pick seems like a fair start for any deal to take place between Vegas and New York. To move the needle further, trading an additional second-rounder could be enticing for Las Vegas to move forward with.
2025 and 2026 First-Round Picks for Adams
This is the trade that is more of a Hail Mary of sorts for both the Jets and Raiders. If New York is among the better teams by the trade deadline (I’m talking 7-1 or 8-0), the Jets should absolutely do everything they possibly can to maximize their current championship window.
Even if it means going all-in on the future draft classes.
This is probably the deal that is least likely to happen, as Adams’ contract has an out after the season. New York also only needed to give up a single first-round pick in the Rodgers trade, so this would be more of an offer the Raiders cannot refuse — especially if they are out of contention this year.
