It remains to be seen if the New England Patriots will make another significant move at the wide receiver position before the NFL trade deadline on November 5.

The Patriots attempted to acquire San Francisco 49ers receiver Brandon Aiyuk, but Aiyuk chose to stay with San Francisco. Meanwhile, comments from Patriots head coach Jerod Mayo sparked speculation about a potential trade for Dallas Cowboys star CeeDee Lamb. While both Aiyuk and Lamb are staying put, it doesn’t rule out the possibility of New England pursuing another veteran wide receiver. Enter Davante Adams.

Alex Ballentine of Bleacher Report made some “bold trade predictions” for the 2024 season, and he suggests that a trade involving Adams feels inevitable.

DAVANTE ADAMS BREAKS FREE FOR A TD ON 4TH DOWN🔥

(via @NFL)pic.twitter.com/ddExvXy7vC

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) October 11, 2022

“There was plenty of trade speculation surrounding Las Vegas Raiders receiver Davante Adams this summer,” Ballentine wrote on August 31.

“The buzz grew so loud that Adams’ agent had to publicly dismiss the rumors as ‘baseless, unfounded speculation’ and stated that Adams is ‘expected to be with the Raiders.’ While that may be true, it’s hard to ignore the possibility that this could resurface as a topic of discussion before the trade deadline.”

Patriots Could Be Sneaky Contender to Trade for WR Davante Adams

There has been plenty of speculation about a potential trade that would send Davante Adams to the New York Jets, reuniting him with his former quarterback, Aaron Rodgers. While the Jets are considered the favorites, surprise teams often enter the mix. The Patriots could at least explore a move for the two-time All-Pro receiver.

Adams might view New England’s quarterbacks—veteran Jacoby Brissett and promising rookie Drake Maye—as a significant upgrade over his current options, Gardner Minshew and Aidan O’Connell.

Adams has two years remaining on the five-year, $140 million contract he signed with the Raiders in March 2022. The Patriots have the third-highest salary cap space in the league at $37.3 million, per Over the Cap, so finances wouldn’t be a barrier.

“The 31-year-old has two more years on his Raiders contract, but the team would save $17.5 million by trading him, and there’s not much guaranteed money left in those years,” Ballentine pointed out. “Don’t be surprised if Adams trade rumors heat up again during the season.”

Adams Has Expressed Frustration While Playing for Raiders

Davante Adams recorded over 1,500 receiving yards in his first season with the Raiders in 2022. He followed that up in 2023 with 103 catches for 1,144 yards and 8 touchdowns in 17 games. Despite his impressive performance in Las Vegas, Adams has expressed frustration with the lack of offensive talent around him, particularly at quarterback.

On the Netflix series “Receiver,” Adams was visibly frustrated multiple times, with one particularly revealing moment:

“I gotta get the (expletive) outta here before I lose my (expletive) life,” Adams said during the Raiders’ Week 6 game against the Patriots. “I ain’t never been hit this many (expletive) times in my career.”

Ballentine isn’t the only one predicting Adams could be on the move.

“There aren’t high expectations for the Raiders around the league. Barring an unexpectedly hot start, some around the league are wondering if the Raiders would move receiver Davante Adams at the trade deadline,” Jeff Howe of The Athletic reported on September 2. “They need to maximize their draft assets to find a franchise quarterback, and the 31-year-old Adams isn’t likely to be around when the Raiders are ready to make a playoff push.”

The Patriots might have their franchise quarterback in Drake Maye. Could he be enough to entice Adams to New England? It’s unlikely, but stranger things have happened.

Tags: New England Patriots, NFL