The Las Vegas Raiders made a huge move by trading for Davante Adams last off-season, so moving on from him in 2023 makes no sense.
The Las Vegas Raiders traded for Davante Adams last offseason, bringing the star wide receiver to the desert to play with his best friend, quarterback Derek Carr. The hope was that the arrival of Adams would help the Silver and Black build on a playoff berth in 2021, but in the end, Carr was benched, and the run with the tandem lasted not even a full season.
With Carr leaving for free agency, could Adams follow him out of Las Vegas? There have been some rumblings as of late that the team could move on from him as soon as this offseason, but after seeing what he did last season for the Raiders, that would not be a wise decision by David Ziegler.
The date of March 17 has significance because it would guarantee his contract for 2023 and 2024. Of course, they could also trade Adams after June 1, but the dead cap number would be higher than the amount they would save, so that makes no sense either.
Las Vegas has an elite playmaker in his prime at the position, and after making the playoffs only two seasons ago, they could easily make it back in Josh McDaniels’s second season at the helm.
Raiders need to build around Adams
If the Raiders were wise, they would stack talent around Adams, who exceeded expectations with a 2022 NFL season that saw him set the team’s single-season receiving record. Of course, they have to figure out the quarterback spot first and foremost, but they have elite weapons alongside of him already in Hunter Renfrow and Darren Waller.
Las Vegas is also expected to bring back Josh Jacobs in 2023, a player who led the NFL in rushing and yards from scrimmage last season. While Mack Hollins could leave via free agency, there are talented veteran wideouts available to fill in alongside Adams, and the team also could go wideout in the 2023 NFL Draft.
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The Las Vegas Raiders have $46 million in cap space, and this gives them the space to trade down and load up for a full rebuild ahead of 2023.
Las Vegas has not had a talent at the position like Adams in quite some time, and his being on the roster would make the desert a favorable landing spot for some of the free-agent quarterbacks available. There is also the chance that Aaron Rodgers could join his former Green Bay teammate in Las Vegas, so keeping Adams should not even be a question at this point.