Los Angeles Chargers named a top trade spot for disgruntled All-Pro WR

Chris Roling | 5 Hours Ago

Dec 31, 2023; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Las Vegas Raiders wide receiver Davante Adams (17) celebrates his touchdown in the second half against the Indianapolis Colts at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images / Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images

Typically, fans would be able to handwave the idea of one NFL team trading a superstar player within a division to a direct rival. 

But for the Los Angeles Chargers and the idea of trading for Las Vegas Raiders superstar wideout Davante Adams, things are just a smudge different. 

Adams wants out, as he informed the Raiders. And the Chargers made the short list of teams as possible landing spots by USA Today’s Tyler Dragon for the expected reasons, plus a front-office link that might raise some eyebrows: 

“The Raiders might be hesitant to trade Adams to an AFC West rival. But Raiders GM Tom Telesco and the Chargers might be willing to negotiate a favorable deal for both parties. Telesco was the Chargers GM from 2013–2023.”

- Tyler Dragon, USA Today

Trading for Adams, though, would be tricky beyond any AFC West tax. As of Week 4, trading for Adams would cost $13.526 million, a number that reduces by $968,000 per week, according to Over The Cap’s Jason Fitzgerald. Adams is under contract through 2026, though nothing after this year is guaranteed, and the $36.25 million cap hits in 2025 and 2026 were always considered unlikely to happen, making it effectively a one-year deal. 

Point being, a team like the Chargers could ask the Raiders to eat a chunk of Adams’ remaining 2024 salary and/or work out an extension with him during the trade. If it’s the former, though, the trade price (draft assets in the third-round range, perhaps) jumps. 

That’s just the financial side for a Chargers team with $7.8 million in free cap space. Adams, 31, would obviously help a Justin Herbert-led offense struggling to find its identity over a 2-2 start after losing Mike Williams and Keenan Allen last offseason.

But even before the division and financial details, a move would be unlikely for the sheer fact the team likely wants to hoard draft assets and cap space better to mold the long-term roster to Jim Harbaugh’s liking.