Why the 49ers Should Not Trade for Davante Adams

Davante Adams is still an elite receiver that would boost any offense, but he is not a player the 49ers should look to trade for. Here is why.

Sep 15, 2024; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Las Vegas Raiders wide receiver Davante Adams (17) runs with the ball as Baltimore Ravens cornerback Marlon Humphrey (44) defends during the second half at M&T Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Reggie Hildred-Imagn Images / Reggie Hildred-Imagn Images

Well this is interesting.

Las Vegas Raiders wide receiver Davante Adams has reportedly named the San Francisco 49ers one of his desired trade destinations. Adams requested a trade from the Raiders this week, which is understandable. Their organization is a joke.

Going from the Green Bay Packers to the Raiders must've been a culture shock to Adams. So, of course, he wants to go somewhere with a winning culture like the 49ers. Adams would fit in nicely with the 49ers. Any offense would generate a boost with an elite player like him in their ranks.

However, the 49ers should not trade for Adams. That is a luxury they cannot afford. Yes, Adams would help the offense and Brock Purdy would benefit. But the wide receiver position is not one the 49ers need to address right now. They just cashed out Brandon Aiyuk on a contract extension. To spend more cap space and then draft picks to acquire Adams after they locked in Aiyuk would be a complete waste of resources.

Aiyuk is the guy for the long-term star receiver for the 49ers now. Bringing in Adams would possibly present a conflict of who needs to get the ball. I know that there is frustration with Aiyuk so far this season. He hasn't exploded in any game yet and has had a few highlighted drops. But he hasn't been bad at all. It is only a matter of time before he hits his stride and starts being the All-Pro receiver everyone enjoyed watching last year.

The 49ers have other positions they should be looking to upgrade via trade. Defensive line, linebacker, safety, and running back could all use a boost before considering wide receiver. Plus, the 49ers' offense hasn't been bad. Injuries have played a part in why they haven't looked their sharpest.

Have they been the most efficient? No, but they are still putting up over 25 points per game. It seems they are starting the season off slow along with defenses playing them better. The 49ers just need to adjust to it and pick it up a bit. They have more than enough talent to do it.

Acquiring Adams now would be like fantasy football. The 49ers can surely take on his contract with all of the salary cap space they have this year, but that is mostly to roll it over next year. Purdy is going to be due for a contract extension, which is likely going to be lucrative given how sweet he's looked so far this year.

The time to acquire Adams should've been before the 49ers extended Aiyuk. That was when the hypotheticals were flying rampantly with Aiyuk to the Raiders and Adams to the 49ers as one scenario. It would've made sense, but another pushback on acquiring Adams is his age.

He is 31 years of age and will be 32 in a couple of months. This is the time for the 49ers to be getting younger, not older. How many more elite years does Adams have? It's tough to imagine more than a couple at this stage. The 49ers should feel honored that Adams would like to be traded to them, but it should not gain traction beyond that.

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