This year's NFL trade deadline is shaping up to be far more entertaining than any in recent history, as the news broke this week that superstar wideout Davante Adams would like to be traded by the Las Vegas Raiders. A player of Adams's caliber rarely hits the trade market at all, much less in the middle of the season. A trade involving the All-Pro wideout could result in a seismic shift of the Super Bowl contention landscape.
It's still too early to get a handle on which teams should be considered favorites to land Adams. On Wednesday, The Athletic's Dianna Russini threw two specific organizations into the fray in the latest update on the saga: the Dallas Cowboys, as well as the New York Jets. The insider also noted Adams wants to get out of Vegas quickly.
"The Jets and Cowboys are among the many teams monitoring the Davante Adams situation," Russini wrote on X (formerly Twitter). "Both have checked in with the Raiders. I’m told at this point that Vegas is in no rush to make a move until a team reaches their asking price — but Adams wants out ASAP."
The Jets are not at all a surprising inclusion. Adams, of course, spent the first eight seasons of his career with the Green Bay Packers catching passes from Aaron Rodgers. Rodgers is now leading Gang Green and the franchise is clearly committed to maximizing whatever time he has left. Trading for an old favorite target, no matter the price, would fall in line with other decisions the Jets have made recently.
The Cowboys, though? That's a shocker. Jerry Jones told all who could hear for the last six months that Dallas was all-in on 2024 as a Super Bowl year but balked at spending money to bring in outside talent. The franchise invested heavily in Dak Prescott and CeeDee Lamb after protracted negotiations but felt Derrick Henry, for example, was too expensive to add. Adams would represent a pretty big change in thinking from the front office in terms of how they value non-homegrown talent.
Adams would obviously be a blockbuster move and a tremendous addition. The Cowboys' problem early in 2024 has been more defense than offense but adding a second All-Pro across from Lamb would take things to another level. The team may embody the idea of the best defense being a good offense but that's hardly the worst strategy to take in today's NFL.
The financial aspect makes it harder for Dallas than most alternatives. Adams is making $16.9 million this season and has two more years left on his five-year, $140 million agreement he signed with the Raiders in 2022. It makes for a tricky fit on the Cowboys' cap sheet.
But they could make it happen, and if they did, watch out for the Cowboys.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Cowboys Linked to Davante Adams in Latest Trade Update.
