It looks like star wide receiver Davante Adams could be going to team No. 4.
Adams, 32, will enter the fourth season of a five-year, $140 million deal, unless the New York Jets, who acquired him from the Las Vegas Raiders in October but finished the season 5-12, release him. A three-time All-Pro and six-time Pro Bowler, Adams appeared in just three games for the Raiders before being traded to the Jets. That said, across a combined 14 games this season, Adams still totaled 85 receptions for 1,063 yards and eight touchdowns.
Adams grew up in Palo Alto, California, played college football at Fresno State and wanted to play for the Raiders in 2022, partially because they were on the West Coast. One would imagine that should Adams want to relocate again, it would be to a team in that region of that country, a notion supported by an ESPN report stating that the receiver is “intrigued” by such a move.
On that note, here are the three best West Coast fits for Adams, whether it’s via trade or free agency.
3. Arizona Cardinals
The Cardinals are a team on the rise, and Adams could be the player that takes their offense to the next level.
Wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. held his own in his 2024 rookie campaign (885 yards and eight touchdowns on 14.3 yards per reception), and Trey McBride (111 receptions for 1,146 yards and two touchdowns this season) has established himself as one of the best pass-catching tight ends in the NFL.
Adams checks multiple boxes for the Cardinals. From the jump, he would become their top receiver, offering a sharp and proven deep-ball threat. Adams could also be a mentor to Harrison, who one could argue has a similar build to Adams and whose upside is comparable to the future Hall of Famer. Couple an improved passing game with a potent running game (Arizona was seventh in the NFL with 144.2 rushing yards per game in the regular season), which is led by quarterback Kyler Murray and bruising running back James Conner, and the Cardinals would have a well-oiled machine on offense.
Adams could be the complementary receiving weapon for Arizona’s offense that DeAndre Hopkins was when he was acquired in 2020, albeit Adams is older than Hopkins was when he was traded to the desert.
One factor that could hinder Adams’ interest in joining the Cardinals, though, is that they’re still a season away from being a true NFC contender.
2. Denver Broncos
The Broncos went from a team stuck in the mud to one that made the playoffs and is now oozing with upside in just one year. That could be appealing to a player like Adams, who’s presumably looking to win now.
After a bumpy start, rookie quarterback Bo Nix settled in and had a tremendous rookie season (4,205 combined yards and 33 combined touchdowns), and one could argue that he did so without a proven No. 1 receiver. Granted, Courtland Sutton had perhaps the best season of his career, totaling 81 receptions for 1,081 yards and eight touchdowns.
Marvin Mims, Devaughn Vele and Lil’Jordan Humphrey had their standout moments and played a role in Denver’s surprise 10-7 season. Furthermore, there’s reason to believe that each of those three could make a jump next season, especially Mims. That said, the Broncos have a healthy amount of cap space (roughly $35 million, according to Over the Cap), and the AFC West, let alone the AFC as a whole, is a monster; there’s no such thing as enough depth. Plus, the lasting image of Denver’s season is it being held to seven points by the Buffalo Bills in the wild-card round. Adams would boost a young Broncos receiver room.
He would give Nix a proven No. 1 receiver and form a plausible outside duo with Sutton. We’ve seen quarterbacks have great rookie seasons and then take a step back in production in Year 2 (e.g. C.J. Stroud and Dak Prescott) based mostly on defenses having more film to assess and find ways to get the best of that signal-caller. Giving Nix more to work with bodes well for his second season and deepens the weapons in head coach Sean Payton’s offense.
Denver would be a great fit for Adams, but it could also let its pass-catching core continue to blossom and allocate money elsewhere. Bigger than that, there’s a team in the AFC West that makes a tad more sense for Adams.
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1. Los Angeles Chargers
The Chargers became more of a running team in Year 1 under Jim Harbaugh and probably for the better. At the same time, their passing game has to improve to break through in the postseason. Adams would be a slam-dunk addition for Los Angeles.
Wide receiver Ladd McConkey had an amazing rookie season (1,149 yards and seven touchdowns on 14.0 yards per reception), but offensive protection on the outside was scattered. Former first-rounder Quentin Johnston has had his moments but hasn’t developed into the electric playmaker he was expected to become. After L.A. moved on from six-time Pro Bowler Keenan Allen and veteran Mike Williams last offseason, Justin Herbert threw for a career-low 3,870 yards (across a full season), yet the Chargers still made the playoffs. Now, they need to recoup some of that receiving talent.
Adams would give Herbert a proven player to target on one-on-one balls and a true No. 1 target the QB can lean on. All the while, McConkey can continue to slip open, and Adams could guide Johnston, who has the talent and frame to be a dangerous receiver.
Harbaugh & Co. are building their offense from the inside-out, exemplified by selecting offensive tackle Joe Alt with the No. 5 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, moving on from a pair of proven receivers (Allen and Williams) and essentially remaking the Baltimore Ravens running back room (J.K. Dobbins and Gus Edwards) last offseason. But after a season that featured an underwhelming passing game and ended with Herbert throwing four interceptions in their wild-card round loss to the Houston Texans, the Chargers have to shore up the loose ends in their passing game this offseason.
They have roughly $63 million in cap space, per Over The Cap. A portion of that money should be allocated toward adding one or two receivers of Adams’ caliber. He’s exactly what their offense needs.
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