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The Washington Commanders are urged to add a second All-Pro WR after trading for Deebo Samuel.
Trading for Deebo Samuel answered the Washington Commanders’ obvious need to add a bluechip talent at wide receiver, but one beat reporter believes the team should still “be in on” another All-Pro wideout, Davante Adams, if he’s released by the New York Jets.
The Jets are planning to trade Adams, but they’ll release the 32-year-old if no deal can be reached. That’s according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, who reported “this is a process that’s going to go on the next couple of days.”
Things are going to move quickly, but The Washington Post’s Sam Fortier already believes “If the Jets release him, the Commanders should be in on Davante Adams.”
Adding Adams would be quite the double whammy for the Commanders, after they sent a fifth-round pick to the San Francisco 49ers to acquire Samuel on Saturday, March 1. Pulling off another move for a marquee receiver would equip exciting young quarterback Jayden Daniels with arguably the best contingent of pass-catchers in the NFL.
There’s high reward to going after Adams, but the Commanders need to weigh the benefits against the obvious cost risks. As well as how offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury could fit Samuel and Adams into the same passing game where alpha receiver Terry McLaurin reigns supreme.
Davante Adams Cost a Risk for Commanders
Adams is a prime candidate to be traded or released largely because of a gaudy cap hit of $38,340,666, per Spotrac.com. Getting to work out a new deal with Adams would be the best-case scenario for the Commanders, not least because of the expected long-term cost of keeping Samuel.
General manager Adam Peters has already been advised against extending Samuel’s contract beyond the 2025 season. Having to pay all of Samuel’s $17.5 million salary for this year puts a dent in the Commanders’ $83,710,623 worth of cap space.
Adams might be worth absorbing a dent or two since he remains an All-Pro level receiver, despite a down year with the Jets and Las Vegas Raiders. He still averaged 12.7 yards per reception, the third-highest tally of his career.
This catch to split double coverage for a 71-yard touchdown against the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 15 proved Adams can still stretch the field.
Adams is more versatile than McLaurin, who usually dominates outside the numbers. By contrast, Adams is a mismatch on the perimeter and between the hashmarks.
Yet, the same is true of Samuel. His arrival gave the Commanders the boost in talent they needed among Daniels’ primary receivers.
Money for Adams could be better spent elsewhere.
Deebo Samuel Deal All Commanders Need
Trading for Samuel has given Washington’s offense a truly smash-mouth pass-catcher. Somebody who, as NFL Network’s Brian Baldinger put it, “just crushes contact.”
Samuel is a threat to score from anywhere on the field, as both a receiver and a runner. He’ll transform the supporting cast around Daniels, but Peters still needs to fortify the edges of the offensive line and shore up a shaky defense.
Doing the latter will require finding a way to replace rugged defensive tackle Jonathan Allen. Finding a trade partner to take on his $15 million contract would give the Commanders back some of the cap space Samuel’s deal will eat into, but any fresh money would be better spent on a game-changing edge-rusher or shutdown cornerback, rather than signing Adams.
Putting Samuel and Adams into the same lineup as McLaurin would also leave at least one of the game’s best playmakers starved of targets.
