The Las Vegas Raiders have informed teams they won’t be trading Davante Adams before the NFL trade deadline, according to a recent ESPN report. While it’s possible the Raiders could change course, especially if Adams becomes vocal about wanting out, it appears Adams will remain with the Raiders through the rest of the 2023 season.

You can understand why the Raiders would be hesitant to deal one of the best receivers in the league, and arguably the best player on Las Vegas’s roster. Trading Adams would signal a change of direction away from competing, and perhaps start a rebuilding process that might not be on the minds of Raiders ownership and management this early on in both Josh McDaniels’s tenure and the team’s relocation to Las Vegas.

Ultimately, however, the Raiders need to stop being shortsighted and move on from Adams in an effort to find a franchise quarterback (and coach) to guide them through the next 15 years.

Why the Raiders should trade Davante Adams

 

Adams, who turns 31 in December and carries a massive cap hit through the 2026 season, won’t always be viewed as such a desirable trade target.

While NFL teams would likely pay a pretty penny in draft capital and/or talented young players to acquire someone of his stature, there’s a natural decline on the horizon for even the best receivers as they age deeper into their 30s. With a contract that is set to pay him over $88 million in 2025 and 2026 combined, the Raiders are going to have a difficult time building a highly competitive team around Adams with his contract taking up so much cap room.

Things would be different if the Raiders had a quarterback in place that they knew could take them deep into the playoffs. Jimmy Garoppolo just isn’t the guy, largely because he can’t stay on the field, and it doesn’t help that McDaniels has been a dreadful decision-maker late in games. The Raiders have some pieces you’d like to see from a true contender (Maxx Crosby has proven to be an elite pass-rusher, for example) but it’s going to take a complete roster, with a great QB, to sniff any sort of real playoff success playing in the same division as Patrick Mahomes and the same conference as guys like Josh Allen. A mediocre QB isn’t going to get it done — the Raiders need a star, and they don’t have that.

The best chance to compete with teams like the Chiefs and Bills is to find a potential star QB on a cheap rookie contract, and build a monster roster around him. That isn’t easy, of course, but with McDaniels making decisions like starting Brian Hoyer over Aidan O’Connell, it makes it a whole lot harder.

Adams may not have the patience to play with an uninspiring quarterback carousel for long. He’s much more valuable to a team that can realistically contend, and the Raiders haven’t shown any real signs of being that under McDaniels.

It’s in the best interest of everyone involved for the Raiders to maximize Adams’ trade value while they still can, clear a ton of future cap room, and focus on finding the franchise’s next quarterback above all else.