Davante Adams is off to the Big Apple. The Las Vegas Raiders have agreed to trade the star wide receiver to the New York Jets, according to CBS Sports NFL Insider Jonathan Jones. This comes after the relationship between Las Vegas and Adams fractured in recent weeks, leading to the wideout reportedly telling the team that he would prefer to be traded. All that has led to Adams, in fact, being moved and now joining Aaron Rodgers and the Jets.
As for the compensation, the Raiders will receive a conditional third-round pick that can become a second-round pick based on performance, according to ESPN. The pick becomes a second if either of the following happen: Adams makes first- or second-team All-Pro, or he’s on the active roster for the AFC Championship or Super Bowl.
Las Vegas is also not paying any of Adams’ remaining salary with the Jets reportedly now assuming the balance. As former agent and current CBS Sports salary cap expert Joel Corry notes, New York will pick up the remaining $11.59 million on Adams’ deal. This season, Adams has a base salary of $16.69 million and $330,000 in roster bonuses, so New York will assume roughly 66% of that remaining money. The Raiders will also now have $15.7 million in dead cap money instead of a $44.1 million salary cap charge for him next season.
Of course, Adams was a sought-after commodity once it was known that he’d like to be traded, but the Jets appeared to be the clear and early frontrunner to ultimately get a deal done. Shortly after the news came out that Adams had told the Raiders his preference to be traded, it was also revealed that his top destination was to land with the Jets.
Even dating back to the offseason, there had been a flirtation about a possible Adams-to-New York deal to reunite him with Rodgers. The two were first together in Green Bay, and the Packers duo was arguably the best quarterback-receiver combo in the league. In their final four seasons together, Adams averaged 119 receptions, roughly 1,463 yards receiving and 14.5 touchdown receptions per season.
Adams now joins a Jets team with Rodgers at the helm but also is added to a stellar group of skill position players. In the receiver room, Adams will be paired with 2022 first-round pick Garrett Wilson, former Packers teammate Allen Lazard and veteran pass catcher Mike Williams. New York also has Breece Hall and Braelon Allen coming out of the backfield.
As SportsLine’s Stephen Oh notes, his model revolving round an Adams trade saw the Jets win total increase by 0.4, knocking on the door of nine wins (8.7) on the season. As for the sports betting markets, the Jets are currently +155 to make the playoffs, +500 to win the AFC East and +3000 to win the Super Bowl, per DraftKings sportsbook.
This deal ends a rather brief run with the Raiders. Back in the spring of 2022, Adams was dealt to Las Vegas from the Green Bay Packers in exchange for two draft picks, including a 2022 first-rounder. Coupled with the trade was a new five-year, $141.25 million deal that Adams inked with the Raiders, which made him the highest-paid wide receiver in the league at the time of the signing.
Reunited with his college quarterback, Derek Carr, Adams remained a highly productive receiver, leading the league in receiving touchdowns (14) during his first season with Las Vegas in 2022 while tacking on 100 catches for 1,516 yards receiving. Even after the Raiders moved on from Carr before the 2023 season, Adams’ production was strong, logging 103 catches, 1,144 yards receiving and eight touchdowns.
The 31-year-old entered the league as a second-round draft choice of the Packers in 2014 out of Fresno State. Upon entering the league, Adams has established himself as one of the top wide receivers of his era, already ranking inside the top 15 all-time on the league’s receiving touchdowns list at the time of this deal.
