Oct 15, 2024, 11:50 AM ET
The trade that seemed inevitable for months finally happened Tuesday, with the Las Vegas Raiders sending star wide receiver Davante Adams to the New York Jets for a conditional 2025 third-round draft pick.
The Raiders get a draft asset to help their rebuild, and the Jets get another “win-now” player they hope can change the course of their season. In the span of seven days, the Jets fired coach Robert Saleh and made this blockbuster trade, which could help quarterback Aaron Rodgers and spark their inconsistent offense.
From 2014 to 2021, Rodgers and Adams combined for 615 receptions, 7,529 yards and 68 touchdowns. They were the NFL’s second-most prolific tandem over that span, trailing only Matt Ryan and Julio Jones of the Atlanta Falcons.
The Jets are picking up Adams’ remaining salary this season — $11.59 million, a hefty investment for owner Woody Johnson. Adams is signed through 2026, but his salary in 2025 and 2026 ($36.25 million) is non-guaranteed. Unless they renegotiate the deal, it’s basically a one-year contract. — Rich Cimini
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Are the Jets in panic mode with two shocking moves in two weeks?
There’s a fine line between going all in and being in panic mode, perhaps? The Jets and Johnson have made it abundantly clear they expect to win in 2024. The past two losses, one-score defeats to the first-place Vikings and Bills, are evidence that they’re not far away. The Jets are 2-4, and there are 11 games left in a division that looks winnable. Getting their future Hall of Fame quarterback another elite playmaker with whom he has proven chemistry speaks more to urgency than to panic. The Jets know the makeup of the 2025 team could be different, but the Saleh and Adams moves were made with only 2024 in mind. This is an organization that feels it has no choice but to go for it. — Jeremy Fowler
How does Adams fit in the Jets’ offense?
It’s hard to integrate a new receiver into an offense during the season, but this isn’t your typical situation because of the previous chemistry between Adams and Rodgers. Once upon a time, they were magic together. They shared that rare telepathy that great receivers and quarterbacks have. They might not be able to recapture it by flicking a switch, but it shouldn’t take that long. Their background is the reason why this could actually work. The playbook will be interesting. Adams is familiar with offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett from their time together in Green Bay (2020-2021), but Hackett — demoted last week — is no longer calling the shots or the plays. They’re still running his system, but it wasn’t his system in Green Bay; it was Matt LaFleur’s. This will require some adjustment for Adams. — Cimini
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What does it mean for Jets current No. 1 receiver Garrett Wilson?
Just when Wilson finally develops a good thing with Rodgers … boom! He’s no longer the WR1. The Jets will say they now have two No. 1 receivers, but let’s be realistic: Wilson, who has 21 catches for 208 yards and two touchdowns in the past two games, no longer will be The Guy. He can be The Co-Guy. You have to wonder how this will affect the chemistry of the receiver room and the entire team, for that matter. For starters, it looks like Mike Williams will be the odd man out of the rotation. Wilson, Adams and Allen Lazard (another Rodgers guy from Green Bay) will be the starting three. How will they react if it turns into the Rodgers-Adams show? Last week, Wilson said it would be “cool” to acquire Adams; he indicated that he’d be in favor of anything that helps them win games. But receivers like targets, and Adams’ arrival will impact Wilson’s target share. — Cimini
How much does adding Adams help the Jets’ playoff chances?
There’s no doubt adding Adams helps. ESPN’s Football Power Index puts the Jets at 46% to reach the playoffs, as of Tuesday morning. That’s 16th in the NFL and eighth in the AFC. That model doesn’t update with non-QB roster changes, but we can see that the Jets’ playoff betting odds at ESPN BET moved from +155 to +145 — or about 1.5 percentage points.
Just eyeballing it myself, that feels light. Adams is worth more to the Jets than anyone else because he has that instant chemistry with Rodgers. And despite being 2-4, this team still has a great defense, now it has three great offensive playmakers (Adams, Garrett Wilson and Breece Hall) and Rodgers under center. I think it increases the Jets’ playoff chances by more than what the odds reflect at the moment. — Seth Walder
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The Raiders now have three Day 2 picks in next year’s draft, to go with their first-rounder. Where do they most need to upgrade?
The Raiders are now up to eight draft picks in 2025, and they could get into the double digits with a few compensatory picks. With the inconsistent play of both Aidan O’Connell and Gardner Minshew, this franchise has a huge hole under center and has to address that before the 2025 season. Las Vegas missed out on the quarterbacks in 2024, with six going before it was on the clock at No. 13. Expect the Raiders to draft a passer early in Round 1 in April.
It is considered a down QB class, and I have only two signal-callers with first-round grades — Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders and Miami’s Cam Ward (Georgia’s Carson Beck is also in the mix). Either would be worthy of a top-10 selection — Sanders is super accurate and Ward has incredible arm talent — but the Raiders might have to move up for their guy to avoid missing out yet again. That’s where the extra Day 2 pick comes in handy, providing them an extra asset to maneuver for their QB of the future. Also watch for Vegas to look at the offensive tackles and receivers in this class in Rounds 2-3. — Jordan Reid
Does this move put the Raiders in rebuild mode?
Not necessarily. Three-time Pro Bowl edge rusher Maxx Crosby is still on the roster, and coach Antonio Pierce still wants to win games. The Raiders’ receiver room, though, has a new vibe — younger and faster, if significantly less accomplished.
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Jakobi Meyers is the new WR1, and he has already sort of played the role in New England, before signing with Las Vegas. Tre Tucker and DJ Turner are deep threats as well as threats in the running game.
A sign the Raiders could be going full rebuild is making the switch back to second-year QB Aidan O’Connell. Shutting down or trading Crosby would also be telling. Remember, the Raiders were essentially in a Jayden Daniels-or-bust mode entering the draft last spring, and had the Raiders been able to pull off a massive trade to go up and get the eventual No. 2 pick, maybe things would be different.
Instead, Adams had two coaches, three GMs, three offensive playcallers and six QBs in his Raiders tenure.
And with first-year GM Tom Telesco’s job security not really in question, perhaps he does have the wherewithal from owner Mark Davis to go full rebuild. — Paul Gutierrez
Should fantasy managers try to trade for Davante Adams, Aaron Rodgers or anyone else ASAP?
Hey, good for the Jets, I guess, but it is hard to see how this trade suddenly solves all problems. Fantasy managers should think similarly. Rodgers was a top-five fantasy QB in 2021 (and in eight seasons prior) but he has not played well since then. Adding Adams can’t hurt, but it presumes Allen Lazard or Mike Williams was statistically holding him back. The Jets still boast two very relevant, young running backs, so don’t expect them to ditch that part of the offense. Rodgers moved up several spots in my end-of-season rankings, but not into the top 15 at the deep position. He averages an ordinary 14.3 PPR points per game, 23rd among QBs. He’s not going to suddenly average 20 PPG. Adams should fulfill the expected obligations of a WR2 option, but teammate Garrett Wilson is more valuable. The Jets’ offense is better today, but these are not the Packers versions of Rodgers and Adams, so keep expectations well in check. — Eric Karabell
