As the Las Vegas Raiders continue to search for a trade partner for wide receiver Davante Adams, who is intent on heading for the exit, one NFL insider recently suggested a blockbuster trade involving the Raiders and San Francisco 49ers.
That NFL insider is the San Francisco Chronicle's Mike Silver, who suggested a trade between the Raiders and 49ers that would send Adams to San Fran and Aiyuk to Las Vegas.
Silver mentions Aiyuk's salary, slow start and propensity to have mood swings — like his practice field tantrum when head coach Kyle Shanahan ordered him to change into the right shorts — as reasons the Niners would deal their wide receiver.
But those are also all reasons why the Raiders wouldn't want Aiyuk.
Granted, he's five years younger than Adams, which makes him a good fit for a Raiders team that has its eye on the future, but it would be an expensive and risky proposition for general manager Tom Telesco to bet on Aiyuk after what we've seen so far this season. Not to mention, he only has one year of elite production.
For the Niners, acquiring Adams makes sense. Not only would they rid themselves of Aiyuk's contract just a little over one month after signing him to it, they would also add an upgrade in Adams, who is still a better player than Aiyuk, even at his age.
Yes, Adams is coming off a down year in 2023, but he also had to deal with terrible quarterback play. Despite that, he still tallied over 100 catches, 1,100 yards and eight touchdowns.
The downside for the Niners with Adams is that he'll be 32 in December and is due a ton of money the next two years, with each costing $36.25 million.
The good news is, none of that is guaranteed, so the Niners won't be stuck with him if things go south. San Fran will, however, want to restructure Adams if he sticks around.
While not an illogical suggestion, we just don't see the Raiders pulling the trigger on a move like this. Telesco likely prefers to add draft capital in a deal for Adams rather than a $30 million per year receiver with major question marks.
