Raiders Trade Pitch Flips Davante Adams to Super Bowl Contender for 1st-Round WR

The Las Vegas Raiders may not want to trade star wide receiver Davante Adams , but if they prefer to sell high rather than continue to pay him huge money to play for a middling team, now is the time.

Adams, 31, is a six-time Pro Bowler who failed to earn the honors last season despite racking up 103 catches for 1,144 yards and 8 TDs . And he did all of that with Jimmy Garoppolo and rookie Aidan O'Connell throwing him the football.

That kind of production will have contending teams across the NFL salivating if Las Vegas decides to put Adams on the market at any point before the November 5 trade deadline. Doing so should allow the Raiders to clean up in a trade return while also clearing a good deal of money off their books.

The New York Jets have been the primary suspect when it comes to interest in Adams, as his former teammate with the Green Bay Packers and future Hall of Fame QB Aaron Rodgers is healthy and leading the Jets' offense in what that organization believes could be a Super Bowl run in 2024.

However, Ian Valentino of The 33rd Team recently suggested a different Super Bowl contender as a trade partner for Adams -- the Detroit Lions .

"We need to save Adams from playing in Vegas for another year, and Detroit's explosive offense is the best way to maximize the rest of his career," Valentino wrote on Thursday, August 29 . "In return, the Raiders clear off $17.5 million in 2024, then more than $36 million in 2025 and 2026. Taking a flier on Jameson Williams is what gets this deal across the finish line."

The Lions selected Williams with the No. 12 overall pick in the 2022 draft. He still has two years and a team option remaining on his rookie contract, which is worth a total of just under $17.5 million across its four guaranteed years.

Williams has played in just 18 regular season games over two professional campaigns, tallying 25 receptions for 395 yards and 3 TD s across that span. Despite the lack of availability and production, though, the 23-year-old still has high upside and would fit the Raiders' timeline of potential success better than the vastly more expensive Adams.

Of course, Williams himself won't be enough for the Raiders to part with a player like Adams, so an early Day 2 pick in the second or third round would probably also have to be a part of any deal. Detroit has the rights to one second-round pick and one fourth-round pick in the 2025 draft.

Those two assets -- Williams and a quality draft selection -- plus the cap relief might be enough for Las Vegas to bite the bullet and admit that as great as Adams still is, he's a luxury they don't need coming off of an 8-9 season in 2023 with Gardner Minshew under center.