Las Vegas Raiders wide receiver Davante Adams is not going to demand to be traded to specific team, according to a report by Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, which is more good news for the Pittsburgh Steelers chances of landing the star receiver.
Adams has told the Raiders that he would prefer to be traded — after the club was already shopping the six-time Pro Bowler around — and he might have his favorites, but he isn’t going to put his finger on the scale in the process.
Adams has history with at least two plausible trade destinations. Aaron Rodgers, now with the New York Jets, was Adams’ teammate for years with the Green Bay Packers. The New Orleans Saints have Derek Carr, who was most recently Adams’ quarterback with the Raiders.
It’s been reported that he would prefer to go to the Jets, but that’s not going to be a specific demand of his, Rapoport says. In fact, Adams is open to playing for a number of other teams.
The Steelers, Jets, Saints, Baltimore Ravens, Buffalo Bills, Dallas Cowboys, Kansas City Chiefs and San Francisco 49ers have all been mentioned as potential landing spots for Adams.
The Steelers and Raiders play each other in Week 6, which could make a trade to Pittsburgh awkward, but Adams is currently out with a hamstring injury. Teams will probably want to wait until he is healthy to make a trade. The NFL trade deadline is Nov. 4.
The Raiders are 2-2 and tied for second place in the AFC West, so an NFL trade destination would probably be preferable for Raiders GM Tom Telesco. Sending Adams to Pittsburgh or New York, only to have the Steelers or Jets keep the Raiders out of the playoffs, would probably not go over very well with the Raiders faithful.
The Steelers have been searching for a wide receiver since trading Diontae Johnson to the Carolina Panthers in March. They tried for most of the summer, but failed to land San Francisco 49ers wide receiver in what would have been a blockbuster trade.
The Raiders are reportedly seeking a second-round pick plus additional compensation for Adams, though most around the league expect that he will be likely traded for less than that, probably a third-round pick.
There are several other wide receivers that could be available at the trade deadline, but Adams is probably the highest-profile option.
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