CBS Sports: Raiders made a final trade decision about the all-star wide receiver.
After searching for a second-round pick for Davante Adams for an additional week, the Raiders decided to keep Adams on the team.
The team is acting in public as if it could keep Adams for a few more weeks, maybe until the trade deadline. However, a number of league insiders told CBS Sports that they think the Raiders are just bluffing.
“Feels a bit like Vegas is trying to put the toothpaste back in the tube to salvage Davante’s market,” according to a source. “I think everyone knows their only play is to deal him.”
Antonio Pierce, the head coach of the Raiders, stated on Wednesday that Adams, who will miss his second straight game due to a hamstring ailment, is getting better. Furthermore, his tone was noticeably different from what it had been the week before.
“The update is that Davante is doing well, the hamstring is getting there and he’s getting closer and closer to getting back on the practice field,” Pierce stated. “He remains a Raider.” He’s always been a Raider. We will play him when he is well enough to do so.”
Sources claim that Adams’s public trade request last week hurt the Raiders. In the NFL, conventional wisdom holds that once a trade request is made public, the league as a whole is alerted and compensation drops.
What Las Vegas can obtain in trade for Adams will also be greatly influenced by his age (he will turn 32 in December) and salary, which is now down to $11.6 million for the remainder of the season. When the trade deadline came along last year, the Raiders had a second-round pick and then some available for Adams, but owner Mark Davis thought a trade involving Adams was not going to happen.
Adams’ primary choice at first was the Jets, but insiders cautioned that he might be talked out of it. Adams reportedly spent the first part of the week reevaluating his desires with the Jets after Woody Johnson unexpectedly dismissed Robert Saleh on Tuesday morning, according to one source.
The Saints were a contender under Adams, but they have since dropped three straight games and may miss more games because of Derek Carr’s injury. The Bills and Steelers have been keeping an eye on the situation.
Even though paying a portion of Adams’ salary would enable the Raiders to acquire a better draft pick for the three-time All-Pro receiver, they have demonstrated a hesitation to do so.
One AFC official observed, “They’re already paying him to not play,” and wondered if Adams would ever play for the Raiders again given that he receives a salary of about $1 million per week from the organization.
A trade deadline that is later than ever is adding to the confusion. In order to account for the addition of the 17th game to the schedule a few years ago, the league decided this offseason to move the trade deadline back one week to Week 10.
As a result, the trade market that usually emerges around the middle of October hasn’t materialized for receivers or any other position. In a few weeks, teams will either be buyers or sellers of other receivers, but even with Adams being one of the more sought-after receivers available, that is still unknown.
One official stated, “There have been a lot of preliminary calls with teams about guys no one wants.” That’s the early stage. Teams are collecting temperatures while they wait to see out how things stand.”
