Surely you could go for one more "Davante Adams trade" article, right? There's no way you're sick of reading about how the Raiders should get rid of their best offensive player, who also happens to be one of the best wide receivers in football? If there's one offseason hypothetical that never gets old, it's the one about trading away all your best players.
Well, good news: we've got another one for you. This one comes from ESPN, who unveiled their offseason grades this week. They gave the Raiders a 'D,' because of course they did. ESPN simply can't understand why the Raiders wouldn't want to give up their best player for some hypothetical draft picks down the road and a backup swing guard. Here's their explanation:
NFL expert believes Raiders missed opportunity for Adams trade
The biggest failure was not trading Adams, which is almost inexcusable in the Raiders' current state. The 31-year-old wide receiver has one cheap year left on his contract ($17.5 million for a trading team) and Las Vegas needed to cash in for draft capital now. Instead, it is running out the clock on a depreciating asset. Likewise, the Raiders ought to have traded down and acquired future assets that could have been used on or to support a future quarterback.
Inexcusable! There isn't a single reason on this planet why Adams is still on the Raiders. There's never been a worse decision made in the history of the team than not trading their best wide receiver this offseason. Honestly, when they put it that way, even giving them a D seems generous. Inexcusable choices like "not trading Davante Adams" is why the Raiders will never push the Chiefs for an AFC West title this year, or probably ever again. Biggest failure doesn't go far enough.