League Source Reveals Davante Adams 'Sleeper' Team | Mailbag

Wide Receiver Pipe Dreams Abound, Scoring Across the NFL ... Not so Much

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The NFL season barrels on into its fifth week, as the NFL trade deadline is charging nearer just five weeks away.

This week, though, the biggest emerging storylines center around Davante Adams requesting a trade from the Las Vegas Raiders, and whether the Kansas City Chiefs will pull off a blockbuster trade to add a wide receiver to replace Rashee Rice who is potentially lost for the season.

So, inside this week’s mailbag full of questions from you, the reader of this fine publication, include Adams’ most likely landing spots, the Chiefs’ best options, offensive production being down across the league, the sustainability of the Baltimore Ravens and Minnesota Vikings, and a whole lot more!

Let’s dive right in!

Will Las Vegas Allow Davante Adams to be traded, and where do you think he’ll go? (Scoutbeth on Threads)

Davante Adams wants out of Las Vegas, that much we know, and almost universally from all of the reporting this week, the Raiders seem prepared to acquiesce and trade him to the highest bidder.

There’s a general feeling among both team executives and in the agent community that the New York Jets are the obvious frontrunners here.

New York is sitting on abundant cap space, with upwards of $16.8 million in spending flexibility for the remainder of this season, $88.6 million in 2025, and $123.5 million in 2026 to accommodate an Adams extension, especially since the Jets haven’t signed Haason Reddick to an extension.

Then, obviously, there’s Adams’ connection with Aaron Rodgers and the fact that general manager Joe Douglas and head coach Robert Saleh are under immense pressure to make the postseason this year, which would be added motivation to pay a premium to acquire a playmaker such as Adams.

But, whether it’s the Jets, Pittsburgh Steelers, or another team that jumps into the fray and blows the Raiders away with an offer, not everyone inside the league believes Adams will be an immediate difference- maker.

“The thing is Davante is 31 and on a big contract,” a longtime front office executive tells me. “He’s also dealing with leg issues this season. That’s never a good sign for an aging receiver.”

Still, in the three games that he’s played in this season, Adams has caught 18 passes for 209 yards and a touchdown while still looking like the kind of player who can bust out a game-altering big play anytime the ball is in his hands.

I reached out to a handful of sources, including a high profile agent who represents several top wide receivers, so he’s familiar with how teams handle and view the position.

He mentioned a team that seems to be flying under the radar but could prove to be an ideal fit both for Adams and as a trade partner for the Raiders.