Years from now, Davante Adams' stint in Las Vegas will be studied to reveal one heart-breaking conclusion: the Raiders did Adams dirty.
With just a few hours to go ahead of the 2023 NFL trade deadline, the Raiders are primed to make one of the most unforgivable gaffes of the Josh McDaniels era. They're reportedly planning to stand pat at the 4 p.m. deadline and not trade Adams. In the words of Adam Schefter, there's "not a chance in hell" that the Raiders are moving Adams this year.
For every reason in the book, this is a grave and bone-headed decision that will leave a black mark on Josh McDaniels' tenure in Vegas.
The 31-year-old Adams joined the Raiders back in 2022, and at the time, his presence in Vegas created an optimal win-win situation for both player and team. Adams secured the contract he wanted and got the opportunity to play with former college teammate Derek Carr. Carr and Adams terrorized opposing defenses as Adams racked up over 1,500 receiving yards and a league-high 14 touchdowns, numbers comparable to his career-best campaign in Green Bay.
Then, Carr left. Jimmy Garoppolo came in. And the Raiders are now not-so-secretly stashing a Maserati in a shoddy, broken-down garage.
Raiders' refusal to shop Davante Adams is a bone-headed move
Adams recorded just one catch for 11 yards in Monday night's loss to the Lions. Garoppolo missed him on two downfield touchdown shots, and during the game, Adams was seen angrily throwing his helmet and sitting on the bench in a huff.
Adams has 142 receiving yards in the last four games. He hasn't scored a touchdown since Week 3 against Pittsburgh. One of the greatest wide receivers of our lifetimes has been reduced to an empty threat because Josh McDaniels and the Raiders are too stubborn to let him go.
Make it make sense. The Raiders aren't even using Adams. They can't get the ball to him on open plays, and as the league witnessed on Monday night, their offense is broken. Jimmy Garoppolo is not good (see Mina Kimes' Twitter bio). Josh Jacobs hasn't found as much success as he did last year. Hunter Renfrow has become the Invisible Man.
If last week's pitiful defeat to the Bears didn't make the Raiders "non-contenders", this week's toothless loss to the Lions should. The 3-5 Raiders are going absolutely nowhere in 2023, and one of the most obvious routes they can take to improve the team is to stock up on draft picks.
A player of Adams' caliber could command a first-round pick or even more, which would help the Raiders start to rebuild next offseason. But no, Josh McDaniels seems to enjoy looking at his Maserati more than he likes driving it, so Adams stays put.
The Raiders holding onto Adams in the 2023 season should be viewed as a crime to football purists everywhere. A trade would hugely benefit both sides, but based on the latest reports, Las Vegas has no intention of moving the star wideout now or in the future. Guess it's going to be another long eight weeks of watching Adams' frustrated outbursts on the sidelines. Remember, Raiders: You did this to yourselves.
