The Dallas Cowboys could use a boost at wide receiver, with a lack of experience behind CeeDee Lamb showing on the field. Outside of Lamb, the Cowboys’ most consistent targets have been tight end Jake Ferguson and fullback Hunter Luepke.
If the Cowboys could add another threat opposite Lamb, it would open up the passing game in a much-needed way.
One option that is emerging is Las Vegas Raiders wide receiver Davante Adams.
The three-time All-Pro pass catcher is reportedly being shopped by the Raiders, per Vincent Bonsignore of the Las Vegas Review-Journal. He writes the team is “growing open” to the possibility of trading Adams and “the club has begun reaching out to teams to gauge interest in the veteran wide receiver.”
But what would it cost Dallas to potentially make the move?
According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the Raiders’ asking price for Adams is “a package that would include a second-round pick and additional compensation.”
Dallas Cowboys EDGE Micah Parsons and Las Vegas Raiders wide receiver Davante Adams pose for a photo. / Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images
The Cowboys and Raiders are no strangers to working out a trade for a star wide receiver.
In October 2019, the Cowboys gave up a first-round pick to acquire Amari Cooper. Now, five years later, could the two teams work out another deal at a lower price?
The veteran star could help elevate the Dallas offense in a very meaningful way, but will the financials work out?
With this season not looking like it’s going to be a competitive one for the Las Vegas Raiders, the team could be looking to cash in and gain some future assets in exchange for superstar receiver Davante Adams. In fact, the biggest question doesn’t even seem to be whether Vegas will deal Adams before the deadline, but rather who will be the team to shell out the draft picks to secure his services.
The most obvious choice would be the receiver-needy Kansas City Chiefs, but it’s not particularly likely that the Raiders would send Adams within the AFC West. In that light, the Dallas Cowboys, a struggling contender in the opposite conference, have emerged as a frontrunner.
The Dallas offense looked fantastic in a season-opening win over the Cleveland Browns, but since then, has been mediocre; the team is 1-2 in the past three weeks, with the lone win coming as the defense allowed Dallas to win while hanging just 20 points on a low-caliber New York Giants defense.
(Photo: Brooke Sutton, Getty)
CeeDee Lamb is a veritable top wideout in today’s league, but pairing him with an elite second option could kick the Cowboys air game into another stratopshere. However, certain comments are coming to light that make it seem as if Adams won’t be making his way to Dallas.
Cowboys Head coach Mike McCarthy, who coached Adams in Green Bay, spoke highly of Adams as a player, but noted that he doesn’t want to speak publicly about player acquisitions, an area of operations controlled almost entirely by owner/general manager Jerry Jones. McCarthy also seemed to indicate that Dallas would be placing a major premium on 2025 draft capital, much of which would be included in a deal to acquire Adams.
Speaking of Jones, he previously has stated that the Cowboys didn’t secure legendary running back Derrick Henry this offseason because the team couldn’t make the money work. Henry ended up signing a two-year deal with the Baltimore Ravens for a total value of 16 million dollars, while the Cowboys brought former star Ezekiel Elliott back to town as Tony Pollard went to replace Henry in Tennessee.
So, given the fact that Henry was too expensive for Jones to consider, it stands to reason that the Cowboys would have to stay away from Adams, who could be due over $100 million over the next three seasons, depending on certain terms and options in his contract.
It’s worth noting that McCarthy’s comments, including ones asserting that he is “comfortable with” his current receiver corps, could be aimed towards avoiding tampering allegations. Even if Dallas is enthusiastic about pursuing Adams, they’re not technically allowed to say anything about it, as he is under contract with Las Vegas rather than a free agent. With the trade deadline just about a month away, we’ll soon learn more about what the future holds for both Dallas and Adams for the rest of the season.
