It looks like wide receiver Davante Adams' short run with the Jets is about to come to an end.
NFL Network reported Sunday the Jets are "taking calls" on trade offers for Adams and "open to trading him" before the start of the new league year on March 12. The report also said the Jets will likely release Adams if they can't find a trade partner.
This was expected for multiple reasons, starting with Jets' decision last month to move on from quarterback Aaron Rodgers, who is a close friend of Adams. After that, it always felt like a matter of when, not if, the Jets would be parting ways with Adams.
Still, there was always a slight chance the Jets could decide to keep Adams - who looked like he had a lot of gas left in the tank last year, finishing with 85 catches for 1,063 yards and eight touchdowns. At the Combine last week, Glenn sounded like he hadn't closed the door on the possibility of keeping Adams.
"Listen, he's on the team right now, and we've got to continue to have conversations about how we're going to move [forward]," Glenn said. "But listen, again, we're in the business of collecting good players, and we'll see how that goes moving forward."
After Sunday's news, it's obvious that Adams is a good player who won't be part of the collection moving forward. And his contract is the biggest reason (outside of the Rodgers decision) they couldn't keep him. Adams is set to count $38.3 million against the cap, and the Jets were never going to keep him on the books at that number at this stage of his career, even if Rodgers was on the team. But they can save $29.9 million by cutting him before the new year, which is certainly what the Jets will do if they can't find a trade partner.
And it's why they almost certainly won't find a trade partner for Adams.
Why would any team give up anything in compensation for a player who is less than two weeks away from being available on the open market? And that team would also have to work out a new contract before the start of the league year to avoid that big hit flowing onto their salary cap.
The only reason a team would make a deal is to keep Adams off the open market. But at this stage of Adams' career, he turned 33 in December, it seems unlikely the Jets could get even a very late-round pick by trading away Adams.
The only chance would be if Rodgers' 2025 destination becomes clear at some point in the next week, and that team is willing to make a deal to make sure they can team up Rodgers and Adams. Even then it's hard to imagine the Jets getting anything better than a sixth-round pick. Need proof? Just look at the deal the Commanders just made for receiver Deebo Samuel, who is only 29. The 49ers received a 2025 fifth-round pick in return.
And so less than six months after the Jets added Adams- sending a 2025 third-round pick to the Raiders in October - hoping to save their season, they'll be lucky to get anything in return as he departs.