Why Ravens fans shouldn’t get their hopes up for Davante Adams

The Ravens always seem to be linked to big-name wide receivers whenever one becomes available via trade or free agency, with Las Vegas Raiders star Davante Adams being the latest.

NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported that Adams is hoping to be traded to the New York Jets, where he will be reunited with his former teammate Aaron Rodgers. However, Rapoport said Adams hasn’t ruled out playing for other teams and the Ravens could be among them.

“In fact, according to sources briefed on Adams’ thinking, he is open to playing for several other teams,” Rapoport wrote. “The New Orleans Saints, Pittsburgh Steelers, Baltimore Ravens, Buffalo Bills, Dallas Cowboys and perhaps the San Francisco 49ers are among the teams that have either inquired about the six-time Pro Bowler or that Adams would like to land with.”

While the thought of Adams joining quarterback Lamar Jackson and running back Derrick Henry is tempting, it’s likely a miscalculation.

“Look, this is probably an unlikely partnership,” wrote Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic. “The Ravens had to make several contract restructures a few weeks ago to even stay within the cap, and GM Eric DeCosta made it clear how difficult it would be to get another major deal done any time soon.”

Brian Wacker of the Baltimore Sun expressed a similar opinion.

“The biggest hurdle that would prevent the Ravens from signing Adams is financial,” Wacker wrote. “Baltimore is already tight on the salary cap, with just $4.3 million in wiggle room, according to Over The Cap. Adams, on the other hand, would immediately count $13.5 million against the cap, a number that will drop to $8.6 million each week [Nov. 5] Trade deadline.

“That means the Raiders would likely have to eat up some of his remaining salary and the Ravens would have to extend his contract, which is currently $36 million and $37 million and is due in 2025 and 2026, respectively. That’s a lot for a player who will be moving on December 32.

While Adams is still one of the best wide receivers in the NFL, Zrebiec believes he may not be a good fit in the Ravens’ offense.

“Baltimore is also a run-first team that rarely gets the ball to the top pass-catchers on its roster. (Zay Flowers and Mark Andrews have combined for four catches in the last two weeks.),” Zrebiec wrote. “So it’s fair to be skeptical that they would get enough bang for their buck if they added another target, even if it was as good as Adams.”

Wacker wrote: “Simply put, Adams is a player who demands the ball. … The Ravens already have enough hands to cover them between Flowers, Andrews, Isaiah Likely and Rashod Bateman, so that would only make adding Adams into the mix even more difficult. Now that they have begun to focus on their running game, as Jackson has only thrown the ball 18 and 15 times in the last two weeks, adding a receiver who is publicly clamoring for targets would be problematic.

Back in January, Adams told Sirius’ Amber Theoharis