Grade the trade: NY Jets cash in on Davante Adams rumors in proposed mock trade

Aaron Rodgers and Davante Adams were once one of — if not the — best quarterback-wide receiver duos in the NFL. Now, Rodgers is quarterbacking the NY Jets while Adams plays without a franchise quarterback on the Las Vegas Raiders.

Rodgers and Adams have been teasing teaming back up in some capacity, naturally leading to bountiful trade rumors Jets fans cannot escape. After all, general manager Joe Douglas has done Rodgers the favor of bringing in his former teammates in the past, so it cannot be ruled out.

With there being no guarantees Adams finishes the 2024 season in Vegas, many have taken a stab at predicting what a trade could look like. Cody Benjamin of CBS Sports recently explored potential trades for Adams and to the surprise of absolutely no one, the Jets were one of the teams included.

The proposed trade breaks down as followed:

NY Jets grade for pitched Davante Adams trade: A

Regardless of whether or not you think the Jets need Davante Adams it is hard to deny the exceptional value of this trade. New York would be receiving a true franchise wide receiver who still has plenty of gas left in the tank without having to give up a first-round pick.

This would instantly give the Jets one of the best receiving corps in the league and would go all in on competing for a Super Bowl. Rodgers' window of being an elite quarterback is not getting any bigger and this would be a way to ensure he has the necessary tools to make a run.

Plus, if this makes the Jets as good as it should make them then those picks are going to look even better. In a perfect world, these two picks would be No. 64 and No. 96 overall — any team in the world would take Adams for that price.

The cap hits on Adams' deal are manageable as well. Next season he has a $25 million cap hit, per Over The Cap, before it balloons to over $44 million in 2026. However, Adams' contract becomes easier to get out of as the team could cut him (in the worst-case scenario) for salary-cap space in 2026.

Las Vegas Raiders grade for pitched Davante Adams trade: D+

As great as this could be for the Jets, it does not make much sense for the Raiders. If Vegas ends up trading Adams then that means disaster struck and it is impossible to give that a passing grade.

However, just because it is not a passing grade does not mean it isn't possible. If the 2024 season goes sideways Adams could absolutely demand a trade to get out of Vegas. If Adams is only making the locker room dynamic worse, it is not insane for the Raiders to grant him his wish and move on.

Ideally, Vegas would try to get a first-round pick out of Adams but if this his market value the team will simply have to deal with it. And if Adams is specifically trying to angle his way to New York, actually getting market value is not a bad ting for the Raiders.

Solomon Thomas is mere filler in this trade as he does not really move the needle for the Raiders. Vegas has a talented defensive line and Thomas would simply provide depth and a salary figure for the Jets to move off of.

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