ExtremeRavens Posted October 2 Posted October 2 Davante Adams has asked the Las Vegas Raiders to trade him, and on paper adding the explosive three-time All-Pro and six-time Pro Bowl wide receiver to a Ravens roster that already includes Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry might sound like a dream scenario that general manager Eric DeCosta should pursue. According to BetCalifornia.com, Baltimore has the fourth-best odds at +1000, or a 9.1% chance, to acquire him. Only the New York Jets, Dallas Cowboys and New Orleans Saints have better odds. In reality, however, it’s unlikely Adams, who torched Baltimore in Week 2 with nine catches for 110 yards and a touchdown, will end up a Raven. Here’s why: Salary cap and capital The biggest hurdle that would prevent the Ravens from landing Adams is financial. Baltimore is already tight on salary cap space, with just $4.3 million in room, per Over The Cap. Adams, meanwhile, would immediately count $13.5 million against the cap, a number that will decline with each passing week down to $8.6 million at the Oct. 31 trade deadline. That means the Raiders would likely have to eat some of his remaining salary and the Ravens would need to extend his deal, which currently includes $36 million and $37 million due in 2025 and 2026, respectively. That’s a lot for a player who will turn 32 in December. The Ravens already have a ton of money tied up in a handful of players, including Jackson, cornerback Marlon Humphrey, safety Marcus Williams, tight end Mark Andrews and inside linebacker Roquan Smith. Several of their players will be free agents in 2025, too, including tackles Ronnie Stanley and Patrick Mekari, fullback Patrick Ricard and cornerback Brandon Stephens. Stephens is one player they’ve already said they’d like to keep. The Raiders, meanwhile, have reportedly told teams they would consider offers that include a second-round pick and additional compensation. Baltimore has a second-round draft pick next year, but it is one of only seven selections (not including compensatory picks) they currently have, and they have long been reticent to unload draft capital. They also don’t have much in the way of players they could or would want to move to clear enough cap space as part of the deal that wouldn’t hurt their chances of reaching the Super Bowl. Awkward fit Simply put, Adams is a player who demands the ball. Over the past six seasons before this one, he’s had at least 149 targets every year but one. He’s also caught at least 100 passes in all but one season during that span. Last season, Zay Flowers led Baltimore in catches (77) and receiving yards (858) on 108 targets. Now in his second year, he’s on pace to eclipse that target share. The Ravens already have enough hands to feed between Flowers, Andrews, Isaiah Likely and Rashod Bateman, so adding Adams to the mix would only make that more difficult. And now that they’ve started to lean into their running game with Jackson only throwing the ball 18 and 15 times the past two weeks, adding a receiver who publicly calls for targets would be problematic. Baltimore could trade Bateman, who signed a cap-friendly two-year extension this past offseason, but DeCosta and coach John Harbaugh have been bullish on seeing him succeed here. Have a news tip? Contact Brian Wacker at bwacker@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/brianwacker1. View the full article Quote
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