8 Shocking NFL Trades That Would Impact Playoff Races in 2024

Rams Get: WR Davante Adams

Raiders Get: 2025 Round 1 Pick

Might as well top this off with a whopper.

Last year, the Los Angeles Rams were a surprise playoff team. The Las Vegas Raiders, um, were not. And with Vegas entering training camp with Aidan O’Connell and Gardner Minshew as its top two quarterbacks, that isn’t especially likely to change.

Veteran wide receiver Davante Adams admitted as much while speaking to reporters after a shaky practice session, saying that realistically struggles under center for the Raiders are unavoidable in 2024.

“What is that called out there that we just did (practice)?” Adams asked. “That’s it, right? This is the opportunity to get all that stuff ironed out. There’s going to be a lot of mistakes. There’s going to be mistakes made during the season, but this time of the year gives us the opportunity to get ahead of it and learn the system.”

The Rams admittedly don’t really need Adams—Puka Nacua was a revelation as a rookie, breaking a 60-year-old record for receiving yards by a first-year player. Cooper Kupp has struggled with injuries the past two seasons, but in 2021 he won the receiving “Triple Crown” –leading the NFL in receptions, yards and receiving scores.

Adding Adams to that mix would give Matthew Stafford the most dangerous trio of wide receivers in the league.

It wouldn’t be cheap—but there’s no general manager in the NFL more willing to deal first-rounders than Les Snead. 2024 was the first time Los Angeles picked in Round 1 since taking Jared Goff first overall in 2016. It wouldn’t be easy to get Adams’ salary under the cap, either—but teams play that shell game all the time.

Want to seriously threaten a loaded San Francisco 49ers team in the NFC West in 2024?

This is the kind of move it’s going to take.