Former LA Chargers general manager Tom Telesco has quite the task in his first season as general manager of the Las Vegas Raiders. Just four games into the 2024 season, star wideout Davante Adams has reportedly informed the Las Vegas Raiders that he prefers to be traded.
Anyone who has paid even the slightest attention to the Raiders this season saw this coming. The writing has been on the wall for Adams to request a trade for months and it took until the first day of October for it to become an official request.
Watching the Raiders get worse is always great for Chargers fans but there is the added wrinkle of the Bolts needing a wide receiver as well. With this need fresh in fans' minds, there has been a push on social media for the Bolts to do buiness with the dark side and trade for Adams.
Because of the in-division tax and the fact Telesco may harbor hard feelings towards the Chargers, trading for Adams may seem like an unreasonable pipe dream. However, the Raiders reportedly have a low asking price for the former All-Pro receiver — a price the Chargers can afford to pay.
ESPN sources: Raiders have informed other teams that they would “consider” trading WR Davante Adams for a package that would include a second-round pick and additional compensation. pic.twitter.com/RtRrhUeYKi
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) October 1, 2024
Chargers can afford the reported asking price for Davante Adams
If the Chargers were serious about adding an elite receiver to the offense then they could certainly afford to trade for Adams. A second-round pick with additional compensation is a fair price, especially if the Chargers figure that their second-round pick would be in the 50s in 2025.
The Chargers could afford to absorb Adams' salary-cap hit this season and with financial flexibility in the next several years the team could add his contract to the books in 2025 and 2026. Adams' base salary is $35.64 million in 2025 and $36.64 in 2026; the Chargers would be on the hook for those figures.
On paper, this would fix the Chargers' biggest need on offense. Herbert would not only have a proven wideout to throw to but would have that wideout for several more seasons. This is more than a half-season fix, which is really what the Chargers need.
But is it worth it? Probably not.
As great as this looks on paper, Adams' age should give every Chargers fan pause. At 32 years old, Adams is at the point in his career where the production is starting to decline. By the time 2026 rolls around, Adams may not even be a Pro Bowl-caliber wideout, let alone an All-Pro wideout.
Plus, even if the Chargers can afford the relatively cheap price to trade for Adams, the Raiders would still hesitate to trade him to Los Angeles. Not only would Telesco be helping out the team that fired him but the Raiders would actively be making a division rival better.
Is an Adams trade possible given the asking price for him? Yes. Is it plausible for the Chargers? Not really.