Looking back -- Davante Adams vs Amari Cooper

[dave mcbride]

Everything I read last season suggested that the Bills were in on the trade action for Davante Adams once it became clear how limited their receiving corps was. After Adams wound up with the Jets, they essentially settled for Cooper. A couple of questions: could they have made the addition of Adams work financially, or was that impossible? My recollection is that the Jets had a lot more space and wiggle room on the salary front, but obviously the Bills were a better team with a real shot at a SB--which would presumably make them more attractive to an elite player who hadn't reached a Super Bowl. Secondly, knowing what we know now, would you have given up more -- a second, say, rather than a third -- to obtain Adams? He had the connection with Rogers, but the Raiders were always going to take the best deal they could. I am of the belief that he was and is a significantly better player than Cooper (who was a good player during his prime, mind you) and showed as much last year: 85 catches for 1,063 yards and 8 TDs in only 14 games. Adams played well for the Jets, and I think he's the sort of player that might have given the Bills the extra juice they needed to outscore KC and win the game. Cooper certainly wasn't that guy last season. 

 

I know it's water under the bridge and hindsight is 20/20, but I've been thinking about it lately. 

[Alphadawg7]

Adams wanted to go to the Jets and Coopers contract was much easier to take on.  I don't think this was ever an option.

[dave mcbride]

2 minutes ago, Alphadawg7 said:

Adams wanted to go to the Jets and Coopers contract was much easier to take on.  I don't think this was ever an option.

Sure, but Adams didn't have total control over his destination and moreover he presumably wanted to win a championship. The issue is that he's a better player, and the Bills settled for the lesser player. Should they have gone all out given that they were clearly in a SB window? I realize that it may have been too difficult from a financial standpoint.

Edited 1 hour ago by dave mcbride

[Alphadawg7]

17 minutes ago, dave mcbride said:

Sure, but Adams didn't have total control over his destination and moreover he presumably wanted to win a championship. The issue is that he's a better player, and the Bills settled for the lesser player. Should they have gone all out given that they were clearly in a SB window? I realize that it may have been too difficult from a financial standpoint.

 

Just a player got traded doesn't mean it was an option for us.  Adamas wanted to go to the Jets, he had a good relationship with the Raiders, they tried the Jets first and got a deal done.

 

He wasn't really an option for us

[dave mcbride]

4 minutes ago, Alphadawg7 said:

 

Just a player got traded doesn't mean it was an option for us.  Adamas wanted to go to the Jets, he had a good relationship with the Raiders, they tried the Jets first and got a deal done.

 

He wasn't really an option for us

The Bills were in on the trade and discussed it with the Raiders, so it was a possibility, at least in theory. And Adams did not have a good relationship with the Raiders. There were reports that they thought he was using his injury to get out and he complained about the offense too. Most importantly, he was NOT happy about them dumping Derek Carr - the reason why he chose to go to Vegas in the first place: https://www.si.com/nfl/raiders/las-vegas-davante-adams-los-angeles-rams-sean-mcvay.

[Doc Brown]

35 minutes ago, dave mcbride said:

Everything I read last season suggested that the Bills were in on the trade action for Davante Adams once it became clear how limited their receiving corps was. After Adams wound up with the Jets, they essentially settled for Cooper. A couple of questions: could they have made the addition of Adams work financially, or was that impossible? My recollection is that the Jets had a lot more space and wiggle room on the salary front, but obviously the Bills were a better team with a real shot at a SB--which would presumably make them more attractive to an elite player who hadn't reached a Super Bowl. Secondly, knowing what we know now, would you have given up more -- a second, say, rather than a third -- to obtain Adams? He had the connection with Rogers, but the Raiders were always going to take the best deal they could. I am of the belief that he was and is a significantly better player than Cooper (who was a good player during his prime, mind you) and showed as much last year: 85 catches for 1,063 yards and 8 TDs in only 14 games. Adams played well for the Jets, and I think he's the sort of player that might have given the Bills the extra juice they needed to outscore KC and win the game. Cooper certainly wasn't that guy last season. 

 

I know it's water under the bridge and hindsight is 20/20, but I've been thinking about it lately. 

Cooper only counted $806k towards the cap.  Adams would've been $11.6m.  We were tight against the cap like always and don't even know if it was possible to create that much money in restructuring just to get that trade through.

[Alphadawg7]

57 minutes ago, dave mcbride said:

The Bills were in on the trade and discussed it with the Raiders, so it was a possibility, at least in theory. And Adams did not have a good relationship with the Raiders. There were reports that they thought he was using his injury to get out and he complained about the offense too. Most importantly, he was NOT happy about them dumping Derek Carr - the reason why he chose to go to Vegas in the first place: https://www.si.com/nfl/raiders/las-vegas-davante-adams-los-angeles-rams-sean-mcvay.

 

Where are you getting we were in on trade discussions?  Internet reports?  Because Beane made it clear they were after Cooper long before we got him and tried multiple times to get him.

 

Beane publicly said they reached out to the Browns early on and they were not interested.  They kept calling, he was their target the entire time and Beane specifically stated it was Coopers contract on why they targeted him because they couldn't afford anything else.  

 

There are rumors and people claiming the Bills are in on all kinds of players that aren't true.  There were rumors flying the Bills were trying to move up to get on of the big 3 in MHJ, Nabers, and Odunze in which Beane laughed that no one called him about moving all the way down to his pick and how he also never called anyone as they were looking to move down not up.  

 

So no disrespect bud, but I don't personally believe the Bills ever tried to trade for Adams as everything from our literal cap situation and Beanes specific comments about the trade all suggest Cooper was their target the whole time.  Doesn't mean I am right, but I am just saying I really don't think Adams was ever at any point an option or choice where they chose Cooper over Adams.  

 

And for the record, I was all for trying to trade for Adams, just don't think he was ever on the table for us.  

Edited 17 minutes ago by Alphadawg7

[NewEra]

1 hour ago, dave mcbride said:

Sure, but Adams didn't have total control over his destination and moreover he presumably wanted to win a championship. The issue is that he's a better player, and the Bills settled for the lesser player. Should they have gone all out given that they were clearly in a SB window? I realize that it may have been too difficult from a financial standpoint.

I don’t think being a better player was the end all be all.  Iirc Adams contract made it more difficult for the Bills…. While Coopers contract was the key selling point

[dave mcbride]

9 minutes ago, Alphadawg7 said:

 

Where are you getting we were in on trade discussions?  Internet reports?  Because Beane made it clear they were after Cooper long before we got him and tried multiple times to get him.

 

Beane publicly said they reached out to the Browns early on and they were not interested.  They kept calling, he was their target the entire time and Beane specifically stated it was Coopers contract on why they targeted him because they couldn't afford anything else.  

 

There are rumors and people claiming the Bills are in on all kinds of players that aren't true.  There were rumors flying the Bills were trying to move up to get on of the big 3 in MHJ, Nabers, and Odunze in which Beane laughed that no one called him about moving all the way down to his pick and how he also never called anyone as they were looking to move down not up.  

 

So no disrespect bud, but I don't personally believe the Bills ever tried to trade for Adams as everything from our literal cap situation and Beanes specific comments about the trade all suggest Cooper was their target the whole time.  Doesn't mean I am right, but I am just saying I really don't think Adams was ever at any point an option or choice where they chose Cooper over Adams.  

 

And for the record, I was all for trying to trade for Adams, just don't think he was ever on the table for us.  

The D and C had a story about it. Also, OF COURSE Beane is going to say that afterward. But he's no dummy - and there's no way he could believe that Cooper was a better solution to the Bills' WR problems than Adams. To reiterate, Adams is clearly the better player. It's not debatable.

7 minutes ago, NewEra said:

I don’t think being a better player was the end all be all.  Iirc Adams contract made it more difficult for the Bills…. While Coopers contract was the key selling point

Yeah, I realize that. I was just wondering whether their was a financial path to obtaining Adams. Maybe not, and I'm not one of those people who believe the cap is a fiction (it isn't). Ultimately, I was just thinking about what the eventual outcome would have been with Adams playing the X rather than Cooper. I think they would have beaten KC. 

Edited 7 minutes ago by dave mcbride

[thenorthremembers]

I think the Bills wanted Adams.  Adams didnt want the Bills.  He literally called the Bills fans the worst in the NFL. 

[GoBills808]

cooper could have done more here. he had some left. they just refused to incorporate him for whatever reason