NFL Trade Deadline: Davante Adams' Frustration Showed Up at Awkward Time

As the NFL trade deadline gets closer and closer, some front offices will probably face tests of their conviction. It's one thing to say that a player isn't for sale; it's another when an opposing general manager calls with a concrete solution to a less-than-ideal situation.

That's where the Las Vegas Raiders could find themselves after Davante Adams' Monday Night Football outing.

While the receiver theoretically looms large as the top dog on the Raiders' offense, that wasn't the case in Detroit. Adams was targeted more than any of his teammates, but most of those passes failed to connect. And, once again, the wideout's frustration boiled over.

Will that cause an audible ahead of the trade deadline? Or will Las Vegas stick to their guns and deal with a potentially awkward future? Either way, the timing wasn't ideal.

Let's break it down.

Adams' Frustration Boiled Over (Again) on Monday

In the world of football, it's something of a cliché to say that receivers are ego-driven players who need to feel wanted within an offense. During the 2023 Raiders campaign, Adams has certainly been feeling left out.

After a quiet Week 6 (two catches for 29 yards on five targets) in a 21-17 victory over the New England Patriots, the former Packer spoke about his ability to affect the game.

"I'm sure people are thinking, 'They won the game, why is there an issue?' I mean, you see why it's an issue," Adams said. "Y'all should know who I am, know what I'm about at this point....When you're a player like me, mentally, my benchmark is not wins and losses—it's greatness. So when I go out there, I expect to be able to have that ability to put that on tape and have an influence on the game. That's my purpose for being here. I'm not here just to hang out. I came here to win and to do it the right way."

While that kicked up some trade speculation, things died down. Adams, for his part, clarified that he was content in Sin City. Reports have also suggested that the Raiders have no desire to trade him.

But mere hours before the 4 p.m. Tuesday trade deadline, there was another bump in the road.

During Monday night's loss to the Detroit Lions, Vegas attempted only 21 passes. While seven of those were meant for Adams, he caught only one ball for 11 yards. Quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo also overthrew him late in the game, which prompted Adams to slam his helmet to the turf.

The frustration continued after the final whistle.

"Honestly, I don't know what to say at this moment. I truly don't," Adams said, according to Pro Football Talk. "I wish I had the words to say something that's not going to get blown up in the media and taken out of context, so I'm going to just....I truly, I just don't know."

Timing of Comments Isn't Ideal

While Adams did raise the specter of his comments being taken out of context, he still has to shoulder some of the responsibility here. Even if he isn't speaking about leaving town, making those sorts of comments on the eve of the trade deadline isn't ideal.

While it's generally expected that the Raiders won't move Adams, it would be understandable if Monday night planted a doubt in the organization's collective mind.

Having one of the game's top receivers is well and good, but you need to throw the ball in his direction. If the offense is going to attempt only 21 passes all night, Adams' salary could be better spent.

If you're feeling charitable, you could argue that Monday night was a one-off. Maybe Garoppolo's back injury threw a wrench into the offense. While that probably didn't help, Adams' targets have been limited all season. Through eight weeks, he's had nine or fewer targets on five occasions. And, in terms of the rubber meeting the road, he has caught more than 10 passes in only one contest this year. That would suggest there's an issue when it comes to both strategy and execution.

And we do know that that's frustrating Adams, who was lured to Las Vegas at least in part by the prospect of playing with quarterback Derek Carr, his college teammate at Fresno State. Speaking about his lack of involvement in the offense could be written off as an emotional outburst; doing it twice suggests there's a lingering issue.

Good players are how you win games, but the Raiders also have to be realistic. Running back Josh Jacobs is out of contract after this year. Garoppolo isn't a world-beater under center. And in the AFC, it's not enough to be a solid team. It takes something special to escape the conference and make it to the Super Bowl.

Since the Raiders aren't there yet, how much good does Adams really do? Is it worth keeping an expensive and frustrated player around if the upside is finishing .500?

The timing of this second incident is also less than ideal. It didn't take place in an overlooked 1 p.m. contest; this was a nationally televised game the night before the trade deadline. Virtually the entire football world saw Adams' frustration in real time.

That puts the receiver and the Raiders in a bind. If a deal were to happen at the deadline, the AFC West club would be working from a weakened position. You're not going to get the best return if Adams' annoyance is common knowledge.

If a trade doesn't materialize on Tuesday—and reports suggest it won't—this storyline isn't going to go away. The focus will shift to the wisdom of Las Vegas keeping Adams, and it's quite possible that trade speculation will return in the offseason. And when a team is already struggling, the last thing the locker room needs is extra drama.

That's not to suggest that Adams has to be a robot who never shows any frustration. Pro athletes, like it or not, are people, too. The timing of this self-expression, however, could have been a bit better.