There has been speculation since day one that the Las Vegas Raiders were looking to trade away Davante Adams. Despite all odds, he remains a Raider.
In two seasons, Adams has remained one of the top players in the league. This is despite dealing with inconsistent quarterback play, rampant trade rumors, and Josh McDaniels. The trade rumors alone have bordered on harassment as Adams and his representatives have constantly stated the superstar wishes to remain a Raider.
At the same time, there seems to be a narrative that Adams needs to want to leave the team. Ex-players like Randy Moss have even come out saying he needs to ring chase. The question must be asked why does everybody want to force a player to leave somewhere he doesn’t want to leave?
Adams Wants to Stay With The Las Vegas Raiders
It was the boyhood dream for Adams to join the team. He came to the team to play with his college quarterback Derek Carr, but playing for his favorite team was a bonus. Even he couldn’t have predicted that in two seasons, he would have caught passes from five different starting quarterbacks.
One reason why he asked for a trade to Vegas was his uncertainty over whether quarterback Aaron Rodgers was going to retire. Why would he want to throw himself back into the same situation that made him leave Green Bay?
The Rumors Have No Merit
Usually, where there’s smoke there’s fire but the trade rumors have always had nothing to them. Instead, it seems to be more of the fans and media wanting Adams to reunite with Rodgers since it would make a fantastic story. The problem is that one of the participants in this story has no desire to make this fairytale into a reality.
Aaron Rodgers has been one of the people trying to make this reunion happen. Adams remains steadfast in his desire to stay in Las Vegas. Even after reports from Adam Schefter that Adams doesn’t want a trade, rumors swirl.
Why It Makes No Sense for Raiders
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On top of everything, the trade would do more to harm the Las Vegas Raiders than anything. It would destroy the leadership of the team and kill all morale. It would also force the team into another continuous rebuild.
In addition, the Raiders would have to eat over $24 million in dead cap space. Why would they trade one of the best players in the league while crippling themselves financially to trigger another rebuild? This isn’t a Madden NFL franchise mode where you can press a button to clear the penalty, there would be consequences.
Jets Are In Worse Shape Than Raiders
It also must be stated that the New York Jets are actually in a worse situation than the Las Vegas Raiders are. This further contributes to the idea of why this hypothetical trade makes no sense. The Jets are in win-now mode with a roster that is not in any sort of position to win now.
Adding to this is the constant drama surrounding Aaron Rodgers. We still don’t know how he will recover from having a Torn Achilles at age 40. He also almost retired again to be a Vice Presidential candidate.
Antonio Pierce Gives Incentive To Staying
One of the big factors that led to Adams wanting to stay was the removal of Josh McDaniels. Head Coach Antonio Pierce managed to help make the second half of the season a memorable one and Adams helped get him the job. Adams even got to sign off on the benching of Jimmy Garoppolo as the starting quarterback.
With Pierce getting the full-time job this offseason, Adams has no reason to leave. Adams has a head coach who made him want to stay. Rodgers is better than who Vegas has at quarterback, but Adams has peace of mind.
Brandon Aiyuk Trade is Unlikely As Well
With San Francisco 49ers star wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk demanding a trade, expect rumors to emerge about a potential trade between the two teams. This is unlikely as well for a variety of reasons. The biggest is that the 49ers still see the Las Vegas Raiders as a big rival and are still incredibly unlikely to make a trade with them.
The other reason is that the 49ers would be getting older at the position with a player who might not fit their offense. In addition, the 49ers hold all the cards in their negotiations with Aiyuk and are unlikely to trade him.
Will The Rumors Ever End?
At some point, the rumors will end. Adams has stated over a dozen times that he is a Raider. He is proud to be a member of the Las Vegas Raiders. This isn’t a repeat of the Randy Moss situation like Moss might think where he felt like he was being held hostage by the team while making millions.
If a player is happy where they are at despite what other people might think, then you can’t force them to leave. If the Raiders start winning with Adams, expect the rumors to end. But only if the Raiders can “Just Win Baby.”
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