With news breaking that star wide receiver Davante Adams wants a trade, it is natural for speculation to run wild about the Jets making a trade. The Jets are working with a short window to try and win big with their current roster. Adams has been an impact player through his career and has done his best work with Aaron Rodgers. With Rodgers and his receivers showing some chemistry issues in the early part of the season, why wouldn’t the Jets look to add Adams?
To be clear, I am not necessarily against the Jets acquiring Adams. I do, however, question whether bringing Adams in should be the top priority or whether it would be the team’s most efficient use of resources.
Consider this. Usually there are a finite number of targets available at the wide receiver position. Only your top two guys are going to see an appreciable share.
So these are your options:
Garrett Wilson-Mike Williams
Davante Adams-Garrett Wilson
Of course most people would choose the latter. But is it an enormous upgrade? Unless you think Garrett is cooked and he’ll have the same chemistry with Rodgers after game 14 as he does after game 4, I’d have to say no.
Is Mike Williams over Allen Lazard for WR3 a big upgrade? Sure, but when you factor in the expected target share, you probably aren’t gaining a ton of surplus production, especially now that Lazard seems to be back in his Green Bay, functional role player mode.
The way I see it, Davante is really injury insurance more than anything. If anything happens to Garrett or Williams, your options become.
Davante Adams-(Garrett Wilson/Mike Williams)
(Garrett Wilson/Mike Williams)-Allen Lazard
This is the point where a trade would have a measurable impact. In fact, a trade could save your Super Bowl hopes in this scenario. But I think it only makes sense to do if you view the Jets as contenders right now because what is worth saving otherwise?
We will see how things go in the next two weeks. If the Jets beat the Vikings and the Bills back to back, surely we can say the Jets are contenders. At that point, the calculus might change.
If not? It’s tough to look at the early part of the season and come away thinking the Jets are a team with a strong chance to win the Super Bowl without Davante Adams, and that probably won’t change much adding him given the marginal production gain you might expect at wide receiver.
You might be saying, “You can never have too many playmakers.” I agree with you completely. I don’t think you should ever limit your talent level. Still, this team also has a finite number of resources and needs to prioritize. I see another area that I feel should be a priority for the Jets with their limited assets.
The defensive line is a major concern right now. They are down their top two defensive ends. Will McDonald is the only defensive end who can be counted on to generate a pass rush. And this has an effect. The Jets really need to lean on him, but giving him more playing time exposes the defense big time against the run. And if Quinnen Williams goes down, the DL become a certified mess as currently constructed.
This is where the priority should be.
Your reply might be, “That’s easy to say, but which defensive linemen are available?” It’s a fair question. We are weeks away from the trade deadline. It isn’t clear at this point which players will actually be viable targets.
If we get closer to the deadline, and no quality defensive linemen are available, I could see then turning your attention to Adams to try and improve the team from the avenue available to you. Until then, I don’t think Adams should be the primary target. If the Raiders are willing to give him away for a fire sale price, make a deal by all means.
Otherwise, I think the Jets should wait to see what the landscape looks like once we get closer to the deadline. As things stand now it doesn’t look like an Adams trade should be the top priority.
