Would Baltimore Ravens trade for star wide receiver Davante Adams?

Scott Davis

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Would Baltimore Ravens trade for star wide receiver Davante Adams? image

Could the Baltimore Ravens get involved in the bidding for one of the biggest stars on the NFL trading block?

Las Vegas Raiders Pro Bowl wide receiver Davante Adams could be the next big name to be dealt in the NFL.

According to Vincent Bonsignore of The Las Vegas Journal-Review, the Raiders have begun exploring trades for Adams.

Adams would surely have a lot of suitors. Even with subpar quarterback play in Vegas, Adams is coming off a season in which he had 103 catches for 1,144 yards and 8 touchdowns. In 2022, he had 1,516 yards and 14 touchdowns.

Adams' potential availability would likely spark some trade rumors with the Ravens.

Baltimore fans are always wanting the team to acquire more playmakers for Lamar Jackson.

The Ravens have selected three receivers in the first round in the Jackson era (Marquise Brown, Rashod Bateman, and Zay Flowers). However, only Flowers has shown the potential to be a true No. 1 receiver on a contending team.

Furthermore, Adams himself sparked trade rumors earlier this year with his effusive praise for Jackson's running ability. Though Adams wasn't specifically talking about Jackson's skills as a passer, it still raises eyebrows around the NFL world when a receiver has high praise for another quarterback.

Would the Ravens trade for Adams?

However, it's hard to gauge if Baltimore would even be interested in Adams.

While the Ravens have traded for expensive defensive stars in the past, it's been a long time since they've traded for an in-his-prime receiver like Adams.

Considering the Ravens did not make any veteran additions to their receiver depth this past offseason, it stands to reason that they are not concerned with their receiver room or interested in upgrading.

Unless, of course, they were saving their chips for a big trade.

However, according to Spotrac, any team acquiring Adams now would have to take on $13.25 million. That number drops down to $8.6 million at the trade deadline.

The Ravens only have $4.4 million in cap space, according to Spotrac.

That means Baltimore would either have to create salary cap space by cutting someone, restructuring a contract, or extending someone, or trying to convince Adams to restructure his deal. It's unclear whether Adams would be willing to do that. Adams has $36.25 million due in each of the next two years, though his contract is not guaranteed.

It's also questionable whether the Ravens need Adams at the moment. Over the last two games, both Ravens victories, Baltimore has leaned heavily on their run game to great success. Jackson has thrown only 33 combined passes in the last two weeks. When he has thrown the ball, he has spread it around: Flowers has been Jackson's most-targeted receiver in the two wins, and he has seen just six total targets. And this has been with tight end Mark Andrews virtually invisible in the passing game.

Of course, one injury can change everything for a team. If Flowers or Bateman were to get injured, Baltimore would be dangerously thin at receiver. And there will be a time this season when Derrick Henry gets shut down and the Ravens have to lean on their passing game. It may be more apparent then how much Baltimore needs receiver help.

This is only a guess, but it feels like if the Ravens were going to trade for a receiver, it would be with a more cap-conscious move than for someone like Adams.

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Scott Davis

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Scott Davis covers the Knicks and Ravens on The Sporting News. He previously spent much of the last decade as a sports reporter for Business Insider, covering all sports, with a specific focus on the NBA and NFL. Follow him on Twitter/X @WScottDavis