Should Lions Go All-In and Trade for WR Davante Adams?

Could the Lions trade for the disgruntled star?

Davante Adams has long been one of the NFL's best wide receivers. 

With three straight seasons surpassing 1,000 receiving yards, the talented pass catcher has been among the league's elite since entering the league in 2014. 

However, things have begun to take a sour turn for the three-time All-Pro, as the Las Vegas Raiders' offense has struggled to start the 2023 season. Adams has been a key part of the offense, with 37 targets in three games. But, the team sits at just 1-2. 

After a disappointing loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday Night Football in Week 3, Adams voiced his frustrations and hinted at a trade request. 

"It’s not my mentality to sit here and try to take all season and figure it out,” Adams recently said. "You use these early games like this to establish an identity. We’re not doing things the right way to establish a winning culture. ... We’ve got to go out there and do it. That’s the theme of this year, doing it. Not just talking about it and figuring out what we need to do. We did all that last year. This year we gotta be about it.”

Should Adams want to be dealt, the Detroit Lions could be suitors for his services. 

Lions fans should be familiar with Adams, as he spent the first eight seasons of his career with the Green Bay Packers. In that span, he had three seasons over 1,000 receiving yards, and narrowly missed a fourth when he finished 2019 with 997 yards. 

He appears to still be in prime shape, having surpassed the 100-catch and 1,000-yard marks in each of his last three seasons. Through three games, he has 25 catches for 322 yards and three touchdowns. 

His vertical ability and physical skill set would fit a need for the Lions, which are lacking depth in the absence of Jameson Williams. Veteran Marvin Jones Jr. has struggled in his first three games, while Josh Reynolds and Kalif Raymond have stepped up nicely next to Amon-Ra St. Brown. 

Adams' skill set would fit nicely next to St. Brown, as they could complement each other. Adams would threaten over the top, while St. Brown would handle the underneath routes.

However, there is the issue of the veteran wideout's hefty contract that he signed upon being traded to the Raiders. 

The deal, which began in 2022, was for five years, $140 million. It's set up to be back-loaded, however, and his base salary number climbs steadily each season, according to Spotrac. 

The Lions are facing a key offseason following the 2023 campaign. Quarterback Jared Goff will likely command a hefty extension ahead of next season, with others, such as Penei Sewell, Aidan Hutchinson and St. Brown, due for their own extensions in the coming years. 

Should the Lions commit to Adams, who would be 35 when his contract expires in 2027, their cap situation would be a complete mess. As a result, they would likely have to part ways with key pieces of their young core.  

This current group of young players has shown flashes of being capable of leading Detroit to postseason success. While adding Adams via trade would help the team win in the immediate future, the long-term vision of Brad Holmes and company would take a hit based on the salary-cap situation. 

Any trade would also require the Lions to part with valuable draft capital. The Lions have committed to building their team through the draft, so anything of substance in that aspect would be hard for Holmes to give up. 

For these reasons, it would be wise for Holmes and the Lions to pass on trading for Adams. As appealing as adding an All-Pro wideout is, it would be more beneficial for Detroit to devote its cap to retaining its young talent and to trust Holmes to draft a future star at the position.