NFL Trade Rumors: Raiders' Davante Adams, Bucs' Mike Evans Were Pursued by Jets

New York Jets general manager Joe Douglas reportedly attempted to make a splashy trade for a wide receiver prior to Tuesday's NFL trade deadline, but it was to no avail.

According to Brian Costello of the New York Post, the Jets inquired about both Las Vegas Raiders wide receiver Davante Adams and Tampa Bay Buccaneers wideout Mike Evans, but neither team was willing to trade them.

The Jets reportedly looked into adding an offensive lineman as well, but they ultimately stood pat.

Both Adams and Evans play for teams who were sliding heading into the trade deadline, which perhaps influenced the Jets' decision to pursue them.

Las Vegas has lost two games in a row to drop to 3-5 on the season, and Adams is coming off a Monday night loss to the Detroit Lions in which he finished with only one reception for 11 yards.

The utilization of Adams in that game was unacceptable given that he entered the season with six straight Pro Bowl nods and three consecutive first-team All-Pro selections.

That included his first year with the Raiders last season when he racked up 100 receptions for 1,516 yards and a league-leading 14 touchdowns as quarterback Derek Carr's top target.

Adams has not had that same rapport with quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo, as his 47 receptions for 539 yards and three touchdowns through eight games represent modest production by his standards.

After the Raiders acquired Adams from the Green Bay Packers last year, they signed him to a five-year, $140 million contract extension, which likely played into Vegas' decision not to trade him.

The Raiders made some major organizational changes after the trade deadline, though, firing both head coach Josh McDaniels and general manager Dave Ziegler. Also, Vincent Bonsignore of the Las Vegas Review-Journal reported Wednesday that the Raiders are "leaning toward" starting rookie fourth-round pick Aidan O'Connell at quarterback in Week 9 over Garoppolo.

Evans is in a much different situation than Adams in that he is set to become a free agent during the offseason.

By keeping him, the Bucs are risking losing him for nothing in free agency, but unlike the Raiders, the Buccaneers are very much in the running for a divisional title, as they are just a half-game behind the Atlanta Falcons and New Orleans Saints in the NFC South with a 3-4 record.

The 30-year-old Evans has built a solid connection with quarterback Baker Mayfield, registering 33 receptions for 507 yards and five touchdowns in seven games this season. That puts Evans on pace to eclipse 1,000 yards for the 10th consecutive season to start his career, eclipsing his own NFL record.

Although Tampa has dropped three games in a row following a 3-1 start, the NFC South is arguably the weakest division in the NFL, and as long as a true No. 1 receiver like Evans is around, the Bucs have a chance to reach the playoffs.

Given that the Jets lost quarterback Aaron Rodgers to a torn Achilles on their fourth offensive play from scrimmage this season, they have performed well above expectations.

With the maligned Zach Wilson under center, the Jets are 4-3, and they have won three games in a row, including a dramatic, come-from-behind 13-10 overtime victory over the New York Giants in Week 8.

Wilson's numbers are mediocre at best, as he is completing 58.3 percent of his passes for 1,337 yards, five touchdowns and five interceptions, and he hasn't gotten the most out of star receiver Garrett Wilson, who has 39 receptions for 469 yards and two touchdowns.

Unless Rodgers is able to defy the odds and return this season, the Jets' best chance at success is likely continuing to play dominant defense and pounding the rock with running back Breece Hall.

The acquisition of Adams or Evans would have given opposing defenses another weapon to focus on, though, and it potentially could have helped Wilson's development.

Instead, the Jets are moving forward with what has been working lately, and they will attempt to remain firmly in the AFC playoff hunt.