The Las Vegas Raiders are not expected to trade Davante Adams.... but a 30-12 loss to Tyson Bagent and the Chicago Bears has a tendency to change how teams think. Now 3-4, the Raiders are due for a frank and honest front-office discussion ahead of the NFL trade deadline.
What is the direction of this franchise? If Las Vegas cannot come up with a suitable answer, then it's time to break it down and build it back up — starting with the 2024 NFL Draft. The Raiders are in second place in the AFC West, but the Chiefs are runaway favorites there. Vegas has very little chance of achieving anything more than a fringe wild card spot.
The Josh McDaniels experience has been a big, unequivocal negative. Jimmy Garoppolo replacing Derek Carr? Definitely not an upgrade. The energy has around the franchise is toxic, with Hunter Renfrow pining for a trade and Davante Adams openly questioning the team's competitive identity.
Las Vegas can posture all it wants, but it's hard to imagine Adams is completely off the table. He's only guaranteed under contract through 2024 and the Raiders don't have much in terms of positive momentum at the moment. If the right offer comes along, it would be irresponsible not to consider it.
Here are a few teams who could get into the mix with a mega-offer.
3. Baltimore Ravens
The Baltimore Ravens are 5-2 with a dominant defense and one of the league's top QBs in Lamar Jackson. The offense finally found sustained life in their Week 7 win over the Lions, with Jackson authoring his best game of the season in a blowout 38-6 victory.
Still, if there's a glaring hole on the Ravens' roster, it's the WR room. Zay Flowers has emerged as a sparky No. 1 receiver in his rookie campaign, but the first-round speedster is the only consistent pass-catcher outside of tight end Mark Andrews. The Odell Beckham experience has been muted and Rashod Bateman is fine — nothing more, nothing less — as the nominal WR3.
Baltimore would benefit across the board from Adams' arrival. It would empower Jackson to get more bold in the pocket. It would solve red zone concerns while positioning Flowers in more favorable matchups as a lightning-quick second option. With Adams and Andrews on the flanks, combined with Jackson's ability to create with his legs, defenses would run into problems galore.
The Ravens invested in Jackson. Now it's time to invest in his supporting cast. The AFC North is wide open for the Ravens, who hold a half-game lead over Pittsburgh and Cleveland. This looks like Baltimore's best opportunity to compete for a Super Bowl since the Flacco-Harbaugh era. Time to push all the chips in and trade for a game-changer in Adams.
2. Houston Texans
The Houston Texans are... exciting. The vibes have shifted dramatically since C.J. Stroud's arrival. He looks like the best player from the 2023 draft class, and while it's too early for sweeping proclamations, a lot of the pre-draft criticisms have fallen utterly flat.
At 3-3, the Texans are very much within striking distance of a wild card spot — or even the division. Stroud operates with the poise of a veteran. He has nine touchdowns and only one interception in six games, the lowest INT rate in the league. As a rookie.
Houston's WR room has serious talent. Nico Collins is off to an explosive start to his third NFL season. He has 19 more receiving yards than Adams... in one less game. Third-round pick Tank Dell, who Stroud advocated for before the draft, has been a nifty weapon with his elite yards-after-catch ability. Robert Woods is an established WR2 who has taken quickly to Stroud.
Still... there's room for improvement, especially if the Texans want to get aggressive. DeMeco Ryans has Houston's defense on solid ground and the offense, while efficient, tends to rank near the middle of the pack overall. Adams might push the Texans into the upper tier with his singular playmaking talent, which would in turn generate better opportunities for Collins, Dell, and others.
If Stroud has the complete package, why wait? Trade for Adams and get the contention train rolling.
1. Kansas City Chiefs
The Kansas City Chiefs lead the NFL in passing yards, per usual. Patrick Mahomes is right back on the MVP campaign trail. Travis Kelce is still the best tight end in modern NFL history. Andy Reid is probably the best offensive coach in modern NFL history... maybe ever, depending on how bold you're feeling.
Those facts make it a bit silly to call wide receiver a position of "need' for the Chiefs, who could coast to the postseason and operate as considerable favorites in the AFC — and the Super Bowl — with nary a change to the roster.
But, the WR room is shallow. There is a stark lack of proven, consistent options in the pass-catching department outside of Kelce. Rookie Rashee Rice has flashed. There's still optimism about Skyy Moore. Kadarius Toney hasn't repeated his abysmal Week 1 performance. But, at the end of the day, Kansas City's one big point of weakness is the WR room. If a defense keys in on Kelce in the postseason, even Mahomes might not be able to save the Chiefs' current bunch.
If Kansas City — with a dominant defensive front, a world-beating tight end, and a spunky lead RB in Isiah Pacheco — wants to eliminate concerns about the WR room, this is a simple solution. An expensive solution, no doubt. But pretty simple. Adams is still one of the best in the business at his position. His speed, verticality, and physicality all over the field would dramatically improve Kansas City's already-potent offense. If ever there was a QB to remind Adams of the Aaron Rodgers glory days, it's Mahomes.
The Chiefs should be in win-now mode for as long as Mahomes sticks around. It's important to balance the roster and not ignore the draft, but Adams would launch the Chiefs' offense to unfair heights. Whatever concerns there may be are outweighed by the immediate upside of this move.