Davante Adams' trade drama kicks into high gear with star WR's cryptic clues

NFL Notebook Week 5 takes a closer look at Davante Adams trade rumors, Lamar Jackson's openness, Kyle Pitts' big night and more.

Go ahead, connect the dots.

Edgar Allan Poe. Angry recipient. Swap bait.

Davante Adams' cryptic Instagram post on Friday certainly stirred up excitement that the now-defunct Las Vegas Raiders star appears to be eyeing a deal that would send him to the Baltimore Ravens, aka Dead Poet's team, would bring.

Adams, who reportedly requested a trade earlier this week, posted an image of Poe, whose most famous work, “The Raven,” inspired the name of the NFL team based in the city where the legendary writer is buried.

He then published a post with this Poe quote: “Believe nothing you hear and half of what you see.”

Well, we can assume that the Raiders will have to make a business decision by granting the big receiver his wishes. If they haven't already, the Raiders should give Adams' agents Frank Bauer and Kenny Chapman permission to negotiate a trade that would resolve the issue.

Of course, this is easier said than done. While Adams would have great value for a healthy mix of prospects on his obvious wish list, which likely includes Baltimore, Buffalo, the New York Jets, Dallas, Pittsburgh and New Orleans, he would be getting a deal that would also add to his huge salary would fit the upper limit could make it a no-go in some cases. Remember: After Adams was released by Green Bay in 2022, he received a five-year, $140 million contract. According to overthecap.com, Adams is still due about $13.5 million in base salary this season, with that amount decreasing by nearly $1 million for each week he remains with the team.

Meanwhile, Raiders coach Antonio Pierce may want to get permission from Steelers coach Mike Tomlin to use this Tomlinism: “We need volunteers, not hostages.”

The Raiders also need enough premium draft capital to be included in a package to move up in next year's draft and select one of the top quarterbacks. Of course, cryptic social media posts probably won't help drive up the price of what Raiders GM Tom Telesco can get for a 31-year-old receiver. But with the trade deadline still a month away, time and circumstances for the potential suitors could weigh on the price… if caponomy works.

Adams, who missed last weekend's win against Cleveland with a hamstring injury, did not practice all week and is out for Sunday's game in Denver.

“He should undergo rehab,” Pierce said, leaving the rest to the imagination.

On the other hand, cryptic messages add even more spice to this episode. There was a clear answer from Saints quarterback Derek Carr, a close friend and former college teammate who only lasted a year at the Las Vegas reunion with Adams.

“I think all 32 quarterbacks would love to play with Davante,” Carr told reporters in New Orleans. “We would welcome that.”

The same goes for another of Adams' former quarterbacks, Aaron Rodgers.

“I don't know how much I can say about tampering, but I still have a close friendship with him,” Rodgers said from London, where his Jets will face the Vikings.

Then, perhaps not inspired by Poe, Rodgers may have poetically left his own cryptic message.

“The grass is green where you water it,” Rodgers said. “The saying 'the grass is not always greener on the other side' is a scare tactic.” But the grass is greener where you water it. You put the time in, you put the intention into what you do, and you can make it a special situation when you’re somewhere.”

Now try to connect these dots.

Lamar Jackson meets betting, fantasy and reality

I really liked that Lamar Jackson fired back at the followers (or players, or even fans) who are upset on social media about the Ravens star or other players not hitting certain goals that are reflected in their bets or fantasy football promotions would pay off.

While he's not the first player to express such defiance, it was refreshing to be reminded as the NFL and other sports leagues turn to the gambling and fantasy industries that, well, grow the sport lets.

In part of a Jackson post

When he met with reporters at Ravens headquarters later in the week, Jackson explained the matter.

“We’re not betting on the game,” he said. “We can’t even bet on games. So we're not worried about that. I don't think we go into the games because of the statistics either. We’re worried about the W column.”

It's worth noting that while some gambling scandals have emerged in Major League Baseball and the NBA, it has been more than a year since an NFL player was disciplined for violating the league's gambling policies.

Have you noticed? Kyle Pitts breaks out

You can imagine Kirk Cousins breaking the 500-yard mark in a night, which would give Atlanta Falcons tight end Kyle Pitts plenty of touches. Completed.

But it also appeared that four days after Pitts played without a catch in his first NFL game, the Falcons were intent on getting the athleticism going right from the start. Cousins' first throw of the night was a beautiful throw down the right seam that went 32 yards. So that's it.

The message?

“He trusts me,” Pitts said afterwards.

Pitts was targeted eight times in the wild shootout against the Bucs and finished the game with seven catches for 88 yards. The receiving output nearly matched his total from the first four games this season (eight), while the yardage output was the most for Pitts in a contest since his rookie year in 2021, when he posted three 100-yard games.

Of course, Pitts, who was the most drafted tight end in history when taken fourth overall, didn't seem bothered by the social media critics who skewered him as some kind of draft bust after the no-catch game .

“I don’t really pay attention to social media,” Pitts told USA TODAY while sitting fully clothed in the locker room. “These people sit behind their phones and just tweet. But they can't come here on the field and do it. For me it’s just about contributing to this offense and letting the ball find me.”

Fast lean angles

– The NFL Players Association is pushing to ban media access to the locker room during the week, but not on game days, citing privacy concerns. The union encourages its members to conduct interviews outside the locker room. Consider this: This option has been around for decades, and as the Pro Football Writers of America (PFWA) pointed out in a statement Friday, it is part of media policy. Whether players will comply with the policy (and whether the NFL will enforce it) is another question. It is understandable that players would feel uncomfortable in various stages of undress or completely naked. And this point was highlighted recently when a radio reporter (and not a PFWA member) published a locker room interview with a player in which another player's rear end was visible in the background. The bottom line is that professionalism must be the standard for media covering the league and for players carrying out their media duties. As it stands now, players typically hold off on interviews at their lockers until they're fully dressed.

— Geno Smith — who led the NFL with 1,182 passes after Week 4 and set a Seahawks record with 56 passes Monday night in Detroit — is on pace for a 5,024-yard season. Sure, 5,000 is a rare milestone with a sliding scale. Of the 15 quarterbacks who have passed for 5,000 (starting with Dan Marino in 1984), three of those instances have occurred since the league began a 17-game season in 2021. However, if he can maintain this torrid pace, the milestone would be real enough for Smith, who remained in the NFL as a backup for six years until he succeeded Russell Wilson as Seattle's starter in 2022. He now has a respectable 72.3% completion rate and leads the league in completions (115) and attempts (159) after Week 4.

Davante Adams' trade drama kicks into high gear with star WR's cryptic clues

ByVanessa

NFL Notebook Week 5 takes a closer look at Davante Adams trade rumors, Lamar Jackson's openness, Kyle Pitts' big night and more.

Lamar Jackson meets betting, fantasy and reality

Have you noticed? Kyle Pitts breaks out

Fast lean angles

By Vanessa

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