Reunited and it feels so good?
Alex Ballentine cooked up six “shocking” NFL trades that could seriously shake up the upcoming 2024 offseason.
New York Jets receive: wide receiver Davante Adams
Las Vegas Raiders receive: 2024 first-round draft choice
“The front office that made the trade and gave Adams a contract extension is no longer there. The Raiders are a rebuilding team if they are honest with themselves, and a soon-to-be 31-year-old receiver isn’t as beneficial to them as an additional first-round pick,” Ballentine explained.
“For the Jets, the team would suddenly have two receivers capable of being a No. 1 guy for most teams. Teams would have a hard time devising a way to account for both Garrett Wilson and Adams.”
This proposed deal would reunite Adams and Aaron Rodgers who spent eight seasons together on the Green Bay Packers.
The Proposed Trade Would Be a Steep Price for Jets to Pay
Zack Rosenblatt of The Athletic said he “fully expects” the Jets to pursue an Adams blockbuster trade this offseason.
This specific proposal from Bleacher Report would swap Adams with the Jets’ first-round pick in April’s draft. If the season ended today that would be the No. 8 overall pick, per Tankathon.
With the #Chargers loss to the #Bills, the #Jets now hold the No. 8 overall pick in the 2024 #NFLDraft, per @tankathon.
A win against the #Commanders could drop NYJ to the No. 12 slot. A loss to Washington could launch them to the No. 4 pick.
I reiterate MASSIVE DRAFT… pic.twitter.com/chYrCmq7cK
— Paul Andrew Esden Jr (@BoyGreen25) December 24, 2023
When Adams was originally traded from the Packers to the Raiders it cost a 2022 first-rounder (No. 22 overall) and a 2022 second-rounder (No. 53 overall).
According to the NFL draft value chart, the combination of those selections was worth 1,150 points. The No. 8 overall pick alone is worth 1,400 points.
So the Jets would be paying a higher price than the Raiders originally did. Adams was 30 years of age when he was traded for the first time. If he gets traded during the 2024 offseason he would be 32 years of age.
That value doesn’t make sense. Although there doesn’t seem to be a simple solution to this problem.
The Jets don’t own its 2024 second-round pick because of the Rodgers-Packers trade. A first-round pick seems too expensive. That leaves the Jets with some mid-round picks and/or future draft compensation to try to woo Las Vegas.
Easier Paths Exist for Jets to Acquire a New Pass Catcher
There is no doubt about it, Adams on the Jets is a sexy headline. However, that dream coming to fruition may be easier said than done.
The only way to acquire Adams is via trade with the Raiders. Several talented wide receivers are scheduled to reach unrestricted free agency.
In those situations, the only thing the Jets would have to give up is the financial component. That is an important factor considering the team’s lack of draft assets heading into 2024.
I put up a poll on X previously Twitter to gauge the fans on the possible wide receiver options for the Jets this offseason. The fans overwhelmingly wanted Adams (43.4% of votes) and the free agent options were split between Tee Higgins (22.4% of votes), Mike Evans (20.8% of votes), and Michael Pittman Jr (13.3% of votes).
Rich Cimini of ESPN mentioned 4 possible wide receivers the #Jets could pursue this offseason via free agency or trade. If you could have ONLY one from this group, who would you want?#TakeFlight #NFL
— Paul Andrew Esden Jr (@BoyGreen25) December 20, 2023
Regardless of the flavor of choice, the Jets should have ample opportunities to improve the room heading into next season.