Saints have special connections to Davante Adams that other NFL teams don’t in a potential trade
The NFL's trade season is among us! After a month of play, some players are ecstatic. Others are frustrated. For Las Vegas Raiders star wide receiver Davante Adams, he prefers to get traded by his current team, and the New Orleans Saints make sense. The Saints have gotten good play so far from Rashid Shaheed […]
The NFL's trade season is among us! After a month of play, some players are ecstatic. Others are frustrated. For Las Vegas Raiders star wide receiver Davante Adams, he prefers to get traded by his current team, and the New Orleans Saints make sense.
The Saints have gotten good play so far from Rashid Shaheed and Chris Olave at receiver. Past them, the depth is quite thin, and it's showing up in the box score.
Adding Adams would give them another alpha option in the passing game. According to Adam Schefter, the Saints and New York Jets are among the top teams on Adams' list of where he would like to be dealt.
Why Davante Adams wants to play for Saints
There are three reasons that stand out among the rest that favor New Orleans as Adams' new squad.
Saints WRs coach Keith Williams
Williams recruited Adams to Fresno State back in the day. He's also worked with Adams as a personal trainer over the years, so the two have bonded over that time.
The wideout has personally mentioned Williams as a key mentor for him during his career on numerous occasions. The coach could play a pivotal role in swaying Adams' camp to prefer a move to New Orleans.
Of course, the Raiders would have the most important say in where the wideout goes in a trade. They must agree to the terms, regardless of where Adams wants to go the most, before the deadline.
Saints QB Derek Carr
Adams would like to play with one of his former quarterbacks, according to Schefter. No surprise there.
Aaron Rodgers could use another option in the passing game in New York. The same can be said about Carr in New Orleans.
Adams, 31, ideally would like to play with a quarterback he knows, sources told Schefter. The Jets have Aaron Rodgers, Adams' former teammate with the Green Bay Packers. The Saints have Derek Carr, Adams' former teammate at Fresno State and with the Las Vegas Raiders. — Adam Schefter
Carr played with Adams at Fresno State in college. Then, they had some very productive years with the Raiders together.
Those numbers did not turn into a lot of team success, but their connection on offense was one of the few bright spots around the roster. Both have remained close friends since Carr departed for the Saints.
Saints' front office's history with Raiders
New Orleans has negotiated with the Raiders as recent as last season, for a trade of wide receiver Hunter Renfrow. They never found an agreement, but there has been a point of discussion there.
Not to mention, former Raiders GM Dave Ziegler is now an assistant for the Saints. He was the GM for the Raiders when they traded for Adams. He knows him and his game well.
We will see if the Saints can land the former All-Pro talent. If they do, it will take some cap space maneuvers and/or some retention of cash for the Raiders on Adams' contract.
New Orleans is no stranger to this sort of situation, though no matter what – it's clear that the Saints have some unique advantages in a pursuit of Adams.
