Were Patriots Among Teams Inquiring About Davante Adams?

The Patriots tried and failed to add a No. 1 wide receiver to the roster last offseason.

New England pursued Calvin Ridley in free agency, but due to contract details and personal preferences, the 29-year-old chose to sign with the Tennessee Titans. The Patriots reportedly had a framework with the San Francisco 49ers for a Brandon Aiyuk trade, but the 26-year-old didn’t want to play in Foxboro, Mass.

The first two losses of the season highlighted the lack of juice in the Patriots pass-catcher room. Executive vice president of player personnel Eliot Wolf seemed to do everything possible to try to fix that problem, and he might have been in talks with another star wide receiver.

According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Davante Adams’ hamstring injury is week-to-week, and head coach Antonio Pierce’s comments about making “business decisions” led fans to speculate that the Las Vegas Raiders could start selling players. That could be a contrast to their strategy from last offseason.

“The Raiders rejected multiple teams that approached them over the summer, inquiring whether Adams would be available in a trade, according to league sources,” Schefter wrote Sunday. The Raiders considered an Adams trade a nonstarter and turned away at least two teams before an offer could even be made, according to sources.”

It’s safe to say the New York Jets might have been one of those teams since there’s been heavy speculation they’ve tried to reunite Adams with Aaron Rodgers. The other team is up for debate. But the Patriots might have been involved.

Wolf and Alex Van Pelt were with the Green Bay Packers with Adams, so they might have a working relationship. The Patriots seemed interested in multiple star players in the offseason, so it would be foolish if they didn’t touch base with the Raiders.

Again, it’s up to speculation regarding who the teams are in Schefter’s report, but if Las Vegas is open for business, New England could try to swoop in and acquire Adams, who has two years left on his contract after this season.