Getty Images Could Davante Adams be the missing piece in Big Blue's offense?
The New York Giants could be one wide receiver away from serious contention.
And that one wide receiver could be a three-time All Pro.
Big Blue is a potential trade fit for star Las Vegas Raiders receiver Davante Adams, according to both Pro Football Talk and Bleacher Report. The New Orleans Saints and Buffalo Bills were also named as potential landing spots for Adams, whose 1,516 receiving yards were the third most in football last year.
But things have changed for Adams since his debut season in Silver and Black.
The club traded Adams’ quarterback, friend, and college teammate Derek Carr. Then it added veteran QB Jimmy Garoppolo. Team ownership is shifting, too; Tom Brady is set to become a minority owner of the club, pending NFL approval.
Add it all together and Adams is frustrated with the team’s direction, according to The Ringer’s Mirin Fader.
“(The front office) thinks this is the best bet for us right now to put us in a position to be urgent,” Adams told Fader. “We don’t see eye-to-eye on what we think is best for us right now. I’m going to have to buy into this and try to be as optimistic as possible. It’s not what I expected to happen, but it’s something that’s the reality now.”
Could the Raiders-Adams rift expand enough for a trade to New York?
Such a move would be “fascinating,” according to Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio. It’d also feasibly put him in better range to accomplish his goal of winning a Super Bowl.
“The reality is calling the Raiders a playoff contender is a stretch,” wrote Bleacher Report’s Gary Davenport. “Calling them a Super Bowl contender is laughable. And assuming that Adams knows that too, the relationship between player and team may only just be beginning to deteriorate.”
Here’s what Giants fans need to know about the team’s prospects with Adams in the fold:
Is Davante Adams a ‘Perfect Fit’ for Giants’ Offense?
New York hasn’t had a true top receiver since Odell Beckham Jr.’s reign.
That could all change by adding Adams.
The 30-year-old has 87 touchdowns over nine NFL seasons, more career end zone trips than any Giant during the club’s 97-year existence. Only Saquon Barkley (37) has more than 30 scores on the team’s current active roster, per Statista.
But Adams is much, much more than a touchdown machine. He’s a magnet for receptions and receiving yards, two of the many receiving categories the Giants struggled in during last year’s playoff run.
With Aaron Rodgers in Green Bay, Adams averaged over 96 catches a season. With Carr and reserve Jarrett Stidham seeing time last year, Adams put up a 100-catch season in Las Vegas.
Put simply: Adams is QB proof. And that level of play could help Daniel Jones take his game to new heights, according to Big Blue View’s Jeevan Kirkland.
“Seeing Adams get traded to a receiver-needy team like the Giants that are looking to compete now would be a perfect fit.” Kirkland wrote. “Big Blue is likely one offensive skill weapon away from having an elite-level scoring attack. With Daniel Jones signed long-term, the Giants are looking to get all the weapons needed around him.”
What Would a Raiders-Giants Davante Adams Trade Look Like?
New York already added one ex-Raiders playmaker this offseason in tight end Darren Waller.
Adding another could be financially tricky, but not impossible.
An Adams trade would cost the Raiders $31.4 million in dead cap right now, according to The Athletic’s Vic Tafur. But that tax shrinks significantly if the Silver and Black deals him after June 1, according to Florio.
“The Raiders could, in theory, trade Adams after June 1, limited the cap charge to $7.85 million this year and $23.6 million in 2024,” Florio wrote. “Adams has a manageable salary of $6.03 million in 2023; he already has received a $20 million roster bonus. If Adams’s agitation is enough to get the Raiders to move on, they could do so with a reasonable cap consequence this year.”
With minor maneuvers, New York could accommodate that deal. They could also push more of Adams’ salary to 2024, when Spotrac estimates the Giants will have $40 million in cap space.
Adams is worth some fiscal gymnastics. Surrendering significant assets via trade is another conversation, though.
Las Vegas offered up first and second-round picks for Adams just one offseason ago. Per Florio, it’s conceivable they demand a similar trade package back. That haul would be the equivalent of surrendering Deonte Banks and John Michael Schmitz this year.
“The biggest impediment to doing a deal could be the total investment made for what would be one year with Adams,” Florio wrote. “They Raiders have paid him $42.75 million. They gave up a first-round pick and a second-round pick to get him. They would need a significant haul to justify what was surrendered for a single 17-game, no-playoffs season. If they should get one, maybe they would take it.”
