Could the Chicago Bears strike a trade deal for Davante Adams?
Why would the Raiders make this trade?
Let me preface this with the fact that no one and I mean no one, credible has reported this as a potential trade rumor. That said, as soon as the news broke that Derek Carr was being benched for the final two games, fans of other teams started to smell blood and circle the water. Chicago Bears fans are one of those teams, but the idea at least makes sense and isn’t a crackpot idea. With Carr falling out of favor, would Davante Adams be a true trade candidate?
Well, with Derek Carr being benched, it should mean that the Raiders will be in on a new quarterback for 2023. Davante Adams left the Green Bay Packers to play with his close friend Carr. If Carr isn’t the quarterback, why would he want to play for Las Vegas next season? The Raiders could look to free agency for a new quarterback, but that hardly ever works out well. Instead, the best way to land a top-rated quarterback is to draft one.
In the 2023 NFL Draft, there are two to three quarterbacks who are likely to be selected in the top 10 — C.J. Stroud, Bryce Young and Will Levis. Most have Levis rated lower than Stroud and Young. If the Raiders want a shot at one of the top-two quarterbacks, trading up with the Chicago Bears could be their answer.
Cutting Derek Carr would save the Raiders just over $29 million in salary cap space. Trading Davante Adams would cost the Raiders just over $31 million in dead cap. This means if the team were to cut Carr and trade Adams, it would only be a net cost of only $2 million in dead cap.