With Raiders receiver Davante Adams due to make $983,333 in salary each week plus $30,000 for each game in which he’s on the active roster, his remaining compensation could create a cap issue for a team that trades for him. Moreover, the new team might believe the balance due is more than it wants to pay.
As a result, some believe that the Raiders might end up paying some of the money in order to facilitate the trade.
This would position the Raiders to get better trade compensation. The less the new team pays, the more the new team might be willing to give up a better package of picks and/or players.
Then there’s the future. No one will pay Adams $35.64 million in 2025. Unless a new deal is done as Adams comes through the door, the trade will become a part-year rental, as a practical matter. That will impact the value the new team is willing to surrender.
It’s not unprecedented. Teams use cash and cap space to essentially purchase draft picks. In this, if the Raiders pay some of the money, they get better picks — as they try to build their roster into a contender.
