JACKSON: Saints should pursue Davante Adams

By Ross Jackson

It isn’t often that a top-tier player at his position hits the trade market midseason. But that looks like it will be the case for Las Vegas Raiders wide receiver Davante Adams.

Since he was traded from the Green Bay Packers, his time with the Raiders has been tumultuous to say the least. It feels almost as if trade rumors started swirling immediately once Adams donned the silver and black.

Those rumors are now coming to a head, and the New Orleans Saints should absolutely be interested. There will be a litany of interested parties as the Raiders have reportedly made it apparent that they will “consider” trade options for the 3-time All-Pro wideout, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter. 

While these kinds of trades are typically not in the Saints’ DNA, they are in desperate need of another playmaker on offense. Between the injuries they have taken on and their new-look offense, there is certainly room to add another big-time player. 

Wide receiver Chris Olave produced his best performance of the season last week, looking like a true top wide receiver. But that should not stop the Saints from looking for ways to improve. Especially considering the history between Adams and New Orleans quarterback Derek Carr. That relationship led to Adams being traded to the Raiders in the first place. The two were teammates in college at Fresno State before being reunited in Las Vegas in 2022.

The duo got only one year together in Sin City. Adams reeled in 100 catches for 1,516 receiving yards and a league-leading 14 touchdowns. There would be a lot more mouths to feed in New Orleans, but that kind of connection is tough to pass up if there’s a realistic chance to facilitate another reunion.

New Orleans has shown interest in this kind of move in the recent past. Ahead of the 2023 trade deadline, the Saints and Raiders were reportedly in talks for a potential trade that would have sent Carr’s former teammate wide receiver Hunter Renfrow to the Big Easy. However, the financials were challenging to work out, per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.

The dollar figure may end up being a deterrent this time around as well, should the Saints check in on the opportunity to land the 32-year old wideout. It is likely that a team acquiring Adams would look to rework his contract. He entered the 2024 season with a $16.89 million base. If he is traded now, with four games already paid out, his salary would hover around $13.5 million, while at the trade deadline (the Tuesday following Week 9) the acquiring team would take on $8.6 million.

Either situation would be well out of the Saints’ capabilities cap-wise. Per the NFLPA’s Salary Cap Report, New Orleans sits with just $3,265,633 of free cap space. But if they were able to rework the deal as a part of the trade, things could possibly be made more consumable. Though that process could end up costing the Saints a bit more in trade compensation, if the arrangement were to require Las Vegas to take in some of the finances to help facilitate the move.

This is the part that makes the trade option realistic and why the Saints should at least check in on the deal. A rework of his contract could also include cutting down his exorbitant  base salaries for 2025 ($35.6 million) and 2026 ($36.64 million). Each year carries $0 of guaranteed salary, which is a big benefit in this situation. Hypothetically, the Saints could drop his 2024 cap hit while giving him guaranteed money in 2025 and/or 2026 at a much lower rate than his non-guaranteed figures. 

The next piece of the puzzle would be trade compensation. Former Saints general manager and current senior personnel advisor Randy Mueller minced no words in an offseason interview, sharing what he would be willing to move for the star wide receiver.

Mueller presented the idea of sending a second-round selection that could convey as a first-round pick if “certain thresholds” were met. Those thresholds could be tied to playing time or on-field production as well as team success. 

Perhaps Mueller should also consider handing over the upcoming lottery numbers as well. The Raiders are reportedly seeking a second round pick with additional compensation to get the conversations started as seen in the aforementioned Schefter report. 

That means the money could potentially be worked out and the compensation makes sense. Perhaps a second-round pick and fifth-round selection (similar to what the Houston Texans paid for wideout Stefon Diggs) with some salary reconfiguration could be enough. If so, it would make sense for New Orleans to look at this opportunity to fulfill head coach Dennis Allen’s wish of finding another player to step up and make plays. 

“I think we’ve got to find some other guys that can make plays for us,” Allen said during his Monday presser. “Other than Alvin (Kamara), (Chris) Olave and Taysom (Hill). I thought (Rashid) Shaheed did some good things from an offensive perspective.”

Though the typical way the Saints would like to address that is with players already in the building. But sometimes you have to take a swing. After a three-year postseason drought, it may be time to step up to bat.

Since 2006, the Saints have not been an active team when it comes to pursuing trades within the season. However, that rhythm saw a shift beginning in 2017. Since then, the team has been connected to or has executed more in-season trades. Some examples include:

• 2017: Saints traded running back Adrian Peterson to the Arizona Cardinals for a 2018 sixth-round pick
• 2018: Saints traded a 2019 fourth-round selection for New York Giants cornerback Eli Apple
• 2020: Saints traded linebacker Kiko Alonso and a fifth-round pick to the San Francisco 49ers for linebacker Kwon Alexander.
• 2021: The Saints explored a trade for Cleveland Browns wideout Odell Beckham Jr.
• 2022: New Orleans sent a 2024 seventh-round selection to the Houston Texans for running back Mark Ingram.
• 2023: Saints pursued a trade with the Raiders for Renfrow.

Whether or not Adams will end up with the Saints will come down to the intricacies and nuances of getting a deal done. As we’ve seen in the past, New Orleans is never afraid to open conversations in an attempt to improve. Will Adams actually find his way to the Big Easy? With so many other wide receiver-needy teams, the odds are low. So, he may just end up being another phone call that leads to a report following his departure elsewhere highlighting the Saints’ interest.