The Saints have reportedly made some inroads toward the acquisition of Davante Adams.
With Week 5 of the 2024 NFL season rapidly approaching its conclusion, fans around the league are continuing to evaluate where star Las Vegas Raiders wide receiver Davante Adams will close out the season: the New York Jets, the New Orleans Saints, or maybe the Kansas City Chiefs, the latter of which facing off to close out the week on Monday Night Football.
Evaluating the situation for both of the teams slated to face off on ESPN, the network's Senior Insider Adam Schefter revealed to Scott Van Pelt that while the Raiders have no interest in sending Adams to KC, there have been progressive conversations with New Orleans that may result in a move in the future.
“Well, they are one of the two teams that he would like to play for, Scott. Davante Adams ideally would like to play with a quarterback he's been matched with before; that would either be Aaron Rodgers with the Jets or Derek Carr in New Orleans with the Saints,” Schefter explained. “Now the Saints have been monitoring the situation; they've spoken with the Raiders. The Raiders have been adamant they'd want a second round, plus, plus, in return for Davante, and so far, there hasn't been a lot of progress. We'll see if anything can change.”
While keeping Adams away from KC makes sense, the idea of the Saints engaging in active trade conversations with the Raiders makes a lot of sense, too. Why? Well, because after looking like the clear top team in the NFC South, the Saints now find themselves in a surprisingly tight division, with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Atlanta Falcons both turning in games where they look like the clear top team in the division.
With the addition of Adams, the Saints would have a premier talent the likes of which they haven't employed since vintage Michael Thomas and be able to shift every other player, from Chris Olave to Alvan Kamara, in a less involved role designed to maximize their efficiency. If the Saints believe this is their year, then adding a player like Adams would do one heck of a job to affirm that faith.
The Saints passing offense has been two-dimensional
So why would the Saints want to trade for Adams when they already have a few premier talents like Alave and Kamara? Well, because through the first four weeks of the NFL season, their receiving attack has been two-dimensional, with only the OSU product and Rashid Shaheed having 100 or more yards or five-plus targets on the season.
Adams, by contrast, already has 209 receiving yards despite only appearing in two and a half games. Insert him into the Saints' offense and who knows, maybe Adams and Carr could find a way to unlock their previous offensive shine on the way to the NFC South Crown and a chance to do some damage in the playoffs.
