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As has been the case ever since they acquired Aaron Rodgers, the New York Jets are all-in heading into the 2024 campaign. And now that he's healthy after he suffered a torn Achilles on just his fourth snap last year, the Jets have been hard at work improving his supporting cast this offseason. New York has brought in the likes of Tyron Smith, Morgan Moses, Mike Williams, and Malachi Corley to bolster their offense, but rumors surrounding a potential reunion between Rodgers and star wide receiver Davante Adams continue to swirl.
Adams and Rodgers were one of the best one-two punches in the NFL during their time together on the Green Bay Packers. Adams ended up getting traded to the Las Vegas Raiders in 2022, though, and Rodgers followed him out of town shortly after when he was traded to the Jets in 2023. With the Raiders offense being very unstable, trade rumors have been floating around Adams for months now.
Las Vegas is coming off an 8-9 season in 2023 with no proven commodity at quarterback. The Raiders are not quite good enough to be playoff contenders, but they also aren't bad enough to fall to the bottom of the league. The easiest way to get themselves out of their current spot would seemingly be to trade Adams away, and of course, the Jets stand out as a logical trade partner.
The Adams-Jets trade rumors flared up once again when Adams admitted that Rodgers has been trying to convince him to force his way to the Jets. While it's not all that likely to happen, let's take a look at a hypothetical trade proposal between the two sides that would see the Jets reunite Adams and Rodgers, while the Raiders would speed up their rebuild.
Jets receive: Davante Adams
Raiders receive: 2025 second-round pick, 2027 second-round pick
Two second-round picks is a solid price to pay for a team that is intent on maximizing their window for success with Rodgers under center. The biggest reason they should make this move is that they really need another wide receiver to pair with Garrett Wilson. Mike Williams was a nice signing in free agency, but he's about to turn 30 in October and is coming off a torn ACL. Behind these two guys, the depth chart thins out considerably, with Xavier Gipson, Malachi Corley, and Allen Lazard rounding things out.
Adams is about to turn 32 in December, but he still has plenty of juice left in the tank. He caught 103 passes for 1,144 yards and eight touchdowns last season while averaging 2.03 yards per route run. It would make all the sense in the world for the Jets to trade for Adams even if he didn't have prior history with Rodgers.
On the other side of things, this would be a great way for the Raiders to jump start a rebuild. They don't have any extra picks in their arsenal for the 2025 NFL Draft, and they could use these extra picks to help them secure their quarterback of the future.
Falling to the bottom of the league is likely the most prudent move the Raiders can make. While they did rack up eight wins last year, five of those were in games where Mac Jones, Zach Wilson, Tommy DeVito, Easton Stick, and Jarrett Stidham were their opponents' primary quarterbacks.
Las Vegas didn't do much to really upgrade their roster this offseason either. Christian Wilkins and Brock Bowers do make them better, but neither play premier positions. How much better will they truly be with those acquisitions?
Vegas projects the Raiders to win roughly six or seven games this year, which isn't exactly the sign of a contender. Adams is a fantastic player, but it would be better for the Raiders' long-term outlook to trade him now while they can. If they decide to move on from him, the Jets make a lot of sense for him, and this trade offer could get the job done for them.
