ESPN grades Raiders' Davante Adams trade after deadline

The 2024 NFL trade deadline has come and passed.

Though the move happened all the way back on Oct. 15, the Las Vegas Raiders were involved in one of this season’s biggest trades.

The Raiders traded away star receiver Davante Adams to the New York Jets after their 32-13 Week 6 loss versus the Pittsburgh Steelers. At the time, the Raiders had slipped to 2-4 after consecutive losses.

Meanwhile, the Jets had an identical 2-4 mark. But, with quarterback Aaron Rodgers back healthy from the torn Achilles that ended his 2023 season before it ever got started, the hope was for the Jets to be a serious player in the AFC picture.

Needing an offensive spark, the Jets trading for Rodgers’ former teammate in Green Bay made perfect sense.

For the Raiders, keeping an unhappy receiver on a team with an unsettled quarterback situation probably didn’t add up when an opportunity to build for the future presented itself.

With that in mind, the Raiders dealt Adams away to the Jets for a conditional third-round 2025 NFL draft pick. The pick could become a second-round selection for the Raiders if Adams becomes a first- or second-team All-Pro this season or if he’s on the active roster should the Jets make the AFC Championship Game or Super Bowl LIX.

With the trade deadline in the rearview, ESPN’s Seth Walder assigned NFL trade deadline grades.

Walder gave the Raiders a B- grade for the trade.

As for the Raiders, I want to be clear that the B-minus grade is strictly for their decision-making today. Their entire Adams trade saga deserves an F for the obviousness of the team’s error. Adams has been an aging and declining player on a bad team with a value contract for a long time now, and it was only stubbornness by the franchise that it did not trade him before this season, or last trade deadline, or the offseason before that. The delay was costly: Vegas could have gotten far more in return 12 months ago. Instead, it kept him in order to deal him for less now while achieving zero playoff berths as a result.

That being said, once the Raiders found themselves in the position they did Tuesday — with a lackluster team and a 32-year-old star receiver who wants out — of course the correct move is to deal him. Whatever the best price they could get was the best price they could get. – Walder, ESPN.

At the end of the day, at least the Raiders did find compensation for Adams. The prudent play for the franchise was to move on and start charting a different path for its future.

Adams tallied 221 receptions for 2,869 receiving yards and 23 touchdown grabs across parts of three seasons with the Raiders.

The Raiders (2-7) are currently in the midst of their bye week and mired in a five-game losing streak. Las Vegas will look to get back into the win column when it returns to play in Week 11 with a date at the Miami Dolphins (2-6).

Email

Sign up

Like this article?

Sign up for the Raiders Wire email newsletter to get our top stories in your inbox every morning

An error has occured

Please re-enter your email address.

Thanks for signing up!

You'll now receive the top Raiders Wire stories each day directly in your inbox.


http://dlvr.it/TG5KVM