ESPN offers realistic trade scenario for Bills to land WR Davante Adams

ESPN has offered a realistic (and doable) trade proposal for the Buffalo Bills to land Las Vegas Raiders wide receiver Davante Adams.

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The NFL trade winds are swirling, and though Western New York in no way requires any additional autumn wind, Buffalo Bills fans seem to be welcoming these gusts with open arms.

Las Vegas Raiders wide receiver Davante Adams could soon be on the move, as the multi-time All-Pro reportedly requested a trade away from the silver and black last week. The Aaron Rodgers-led New York Jets and Derek Carr-helmed New Orleans Saints are reportedly the pass-catcher’s preferred destinations, but the Bills, per several reports, are keeping tabs on the sweepstakes from afar; the realities of the salary cap are preventing Buffalo from being a major player at this juncture (Adams has a base salary of $17 million while the Bills currently have just over $3 million in salary cap space), but should Las Vegas ultimately show willingness to retain salary, Buffalo could become a realistic landing spot.

Related: It's official: Bills need to find a way to acquire WR Davante Adams

NFL fans always fantasize about the hypothetical of their favorite team landing whichever superstar finds themself in trade talks at any given moment, but the Adams idea remains heavy on the minds of Bills fans given the passing game's recent struggles. The team’s ‘everyone eats’ receiving corps has been on a strict diet in recent weeks, combining for a pedestrian 10 catches in Week 4 before reeling in just four of 18 targets in Week 5. Head coach Sean McDermott admits there’s internal “concern” regarding the position group; adding a six-time Pro Bowler and five-time 1,000-plus yard receiver would certainly go a long way in mitigating these worries.

Though he acknowledges the financial hurdles, ESPN’s Ben Solak feels as though Adams would be a perfect fit in Western New York, mocking the wideout to the Bills in his recent “dream trade deadline.” He has Buffalo giving up a 2025 second-round pick and a conditional 2026 third-round pick for the pass-catcher, writing that Adams would round out a promising, but underperforming Bills weapons group.

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“It seems like the Bills are out on the first round of the Adams trade cycle,” Solak wrote. “That is to say they don't want to take on all of his cap hit, so they'd only be interested if and when the Raiders are willing to swallow some of Adams' money in return for better draft capital.

“If and when we get there, Adams is the perfect receiver for Buffalo. Khalil Shakir is the established slot, but a motley crew is currently splitting snaps at the outside. Rookie Keon Coleman has been flashing, but Marquez Valdes-Scantling and Mack Hollins are not viable options for the high-volume passing attack that the Bills needed to deploy the past two weeks. Adams brings a lot of what Stefon Diggs brought -- reliable separation against top corners, sure hands and downfield route running -- on a clean slate.”

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Solak’s analysis is sound; Shakir has thus far been Buffalo’s best wideout by a considerable margin, and Coleman has shown promise throughout his first five games. There’s no reliable weapon outside of those options, however; Mack Hollins is simply not a player a pass-heavy team should attribute a significant aerial role to, Curtis Samuel has been grossly underused, and Marquez Valdes-Scantling is a non-factor. Buffalo demonstrably needs help at wideout; receivers combining for four receptions in a single game is not a sustainable formula for winning football. Acquiring Adams would immediately give quarterback Josh Allen a go-to alpha target while pushing each current receiver down a rung on the proverbial ladder, both of which would help the offense.

Buffalo currently has two picks in the second round of the 2025 NFL Draft after acquiring an extra selection in exchange for Diggs this past offseason, so it should be able to match the Raiders’ reported asking price without curtailing itself of any picks in next year’s second round. The 2026 third-round pick included in Solak’s proposal would be difficult to part ways with, but if that’s what it would take to convince Las Vegas to retain salary and give Allen not only an immediate go-to target, but an alpha wideout for the next three or four years, then it’s a price the Bills may be willing to pay.

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