Three Free-Agent Wide Receivers Who Could Replace Davante Adams in Las Vegas

The 2024 season has been an unmitigated disaster for the Las Vegas Raiders.

Heading into their week 14 clash against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the Sin City outfit had a paltry record of 2-10, the worst in the entire league alongside the Jacksonville Jaguars and the Giants. Their woes under center have been well-documented, with quarterbacks Aidan O’Connell, Gardner Minshew, and Desmond Ridder all failing to impress.

Adams Departs

Some of the team’s biggest struggles this season have come from their receiving corps. Heading into the campaign, the Raiders had arguably one of the best wide receivers in the league in Davante Adams. The former Green Bay Packer is a proven superstar and was the linchpin of the offense at Allegiant Stadium.

However, throughout the course of the year, he was vocal in his wishes to leave the Raiders and rejoin his former teammate, Aaron Rodgers. He eventually got his wish and secured a trade to the Jets, where production has remained woeful.

While his departure was initially seen as a disaster, his inability to recapture his best form at MetLife has left those in Vegas feeling they may have got the better end of the deal. Not only did the Raiders secure a third-round pick for next year’s draft, but they also have plenty of cap space available to bring in a replacement. And in 2025, there are plenty of receivers set to become free agents. Here are three that could make the move to Sin City and become the team’s new number one target.

Tee Higgins

Few young wideouts in the NFL have matched Tee Higgins’ rise as a star contributor. At 6-foot-4, the former Clemson Tiger has exceptional size, reliable hands, and a knack for making contested catches under the harshest of pressure. Through his time with the Cincinnati Bengals, he has been a crucial component of their potent offense, alongside the sensational Ja’Marr Chase and top-three QB Joe Burrow.

Averaging over 1,000 yards in his last two full seasons, Higgins has already established himself as a dependable deep threat and a big-play machine. However, he has had a few injury stints throughout the course of the 2024 season while his ongoing contract dispute looms over the season. With Cincy struggling on the field and seemingly unwilling to pay Higgins the big bucks heading forward, he will almost certainly leave Paycor Stadium in the summer.

This is where the Silver and Black come in. The 25-year-old will unquestionably have plenty of potential suitors at the expiry of his contract, but few of them can match the Raiders’ available cap space. He has the opportunity to unquestionably become the star of the show in Sin City, and the team could be built around his bucketloads of ability. That could prove to be too hard to turn down and with Higgins as WR1 and Brock Bowers at tight end, the Raiders could rejuvenate their fortunes.

Amari Cooper

Should they not be able to entice Higgins out of Cincinnati, then a reunion with Amari Cooper becomes a fascinating possibility. The former Raiders first-round pick played his first four seasons in Oakland, showing flashes of brilliance and solidifying his role as a precise route-runner with soft hands. Since then, he has bounced around the Dallas Cowboys and the Cleveland Browns, remaining a picture of consistency and regularly reeling in the ball to pick up yards and touchdowns.

This season, the former University of Alabama standout has shone with the Buffalo Bills. The Big Apple outfit has become the team to beat in the AFC, handing the reigning back-to-back champion Kansas City Chiefs their first loss on week 11 and catapulting themselves into Super Bowl contention. It’s certainly attracted the eyes of the online sportsbook providers! The latest odds from the popular Bovada online sportsbook make the Bills a +500 second favorite for their first-ever Lombardi, and Cooper’s link-ups with quarterback Josh Allen have been crucial to their side’s success. It will be interesting to see if the online sportsbook folks are “on the money” here.

However, he too is out of contract at the end of the season, and with no renewal yet to be penned, Cooper could well be available via free agency. Bringing him back could provide a sense of familiarity for the organization and fans alike. His polished skills fit perfectly in both quick-hit and deep-threat offensive schemes. He has dealt with smaller nagging injuries throughout his career, which could raise concerns about durability, but at 30 years of age, he certainly has enough left in the tank to replace the departed Adams.

Stefon Diggs

Stefon Diggs would likely be the most electrifying addition on this list. Throughout his stint at with the Bills, he recorded three consecutive 1,200-yard seasons and showed no signs of slowing down following his move to the Houston Texans. However, with the Lone Star State outfit firing on all cylinders, disaster struck.

They were one of the most bet teams against the spread for their week eight clash against the Indianapolis Colts, but an ACL injury to Diggs not only meant that the Texans didn’t cover, but their star receiver would miss the rest of the season. With him signed to a one-year deal at NRG Stadium, there is a real chance that he may not feature for the Texans again.

Securing the signature of the former Minnesota Vikings star could help energize Las Vegas’ offense. He has proven he can thrive under pressure, playing a key role both in Buffalo alongside Allen and in Houston with C. J. Stroud. It remains to be seen how quickly he will recover from his current injury, but if he does return to anywhere near his best, surely he could provide plenty of value to the Raiders’ flailing offense.