Now that we’ve reached the first quarter of an hour of the NFL season, there are rumors of trades for star players on struggling teams.

The trade deadline has been pushed back to November 5th this year, but there could be some blockbuster deals well before then. After coach Antonio Pierce’s game, things got difficult for the Las Vegas Raiders The Instagram account liked a social media post suggesting the team shops Davante Adams.

Maybe it was a coincidence like – or the random like on purposefor those watching Curb your enthusiasm— and it’s not the Raiders’ priority to trade Adams. But the damage was done nonetheless, as reports surfaced Tuesday that the star wideout would prefer to be traded rather than stick with the silver and black.

Let’s take a look at the Raiders’ latest chaotic situation for Fact or Fiction. We’re also keeping an eye on Matthew Stafford after the Los Angeles Rams went 1-3 this season.

Raiders need to trade Davante Adams soon

Manzano’s view: fact

Kay Adams, the host of Up and AdamsHe had a hard time asking a follow-up question about Adams revealed that Pierce had not come forward to explain why his Instagram account a Sports Illustrated post Mention the possibility of the team acquiring the star wide receiver.

It was an awkward interview and a surprising answer from Adams that made the trade rumors seem true while raising a lot of questions. Was Adams one of the players Pierce was referring to when he said the “Business decisions” Comments after the embarrassing loss to the Carolina Panthers? Pierce will likely try to clarify the situation when he meets with reporters on Wednesday.

But regardless of whether it was an accidental Instagram like or not, the Raiders should trade Adams for a variety of reasons, and quickly while his value is high. That appears to be the Raiders’ goal Reports surfaced by Adams, who prefers to be traded.

If Pierce believes Adams has vetted the Raiders, he needs to push GM Tom Telesco to make a move as soon as possible. It would send a loud and clear message about what type of players he wants in his locker room. And it helps that Pierce managed to pull off an impressive comeback win against the Cleveland Browns without Adams and Maxx Crosby on the field. Pierce also benched cornerback Jack Jones in the first quarter against the Browns – a strong sign that Jones was one of the players who didn’t perform at full strength the week before against Carolina.

Las Vegas should still trade Adams even if Pierce has no issues with his commitment to the team. After the first quarter of the season, the Raiders (2-2) appear to be stuck in mediocrity with a weak offense and a stellar defense. Averages hurt them last season, when the 8-9 Raiders fell out of the top 10 in the 2024 draft and six quarterback prospects were gone by the time they went 13th.

They drafted tight end Brock Bowers, who appears to be the real deal. The Raiders can give Bowers a first-round rookie quarterback next season and truly rebuild if they land a high draft pick in 2025. They can increase their chances of getting a high draft pick by getting more picks in a potential Adams trade. Pierce can train to win and continue to build the right culture knowing the team can move up in the draft with additional draft picks.

Rams should consider trading Matthew Stafford

Manzano’s view: fiction

It’s way too early for the Rams to give up on the white flag because of a 1-3 start to the season, especially after what they did last season.

Sean McVay’s team was 3-6 after an ugly 20-3 loss in Green Bay and had several key players returning from the off week from injury, winning seven of their final eight games to reach the postseason.

Ironically, the Rams get the Packers at home this week before the bye week. They could fall to 1-4, but they at least need to see what this team does when Puka Nacua and Cooper Kupp are off, which could potentially be after the bye week.

And Stafford has played well most of the season, with the veteran signal-caller receiving contributions from Tutu Atwell and Jordan Whittington despite the injuries. It wasn’t that long ago when Stafford led the Rams to an upset win over the San Francisco 49ers.

At 36, Stafford appears to still have a few good years left, but the team may need to rework his contract and offer him more guaranteed money next season, similar to what the Rams did before the start of this season. Even if the Rams decide to go a different route and select a quarterback in the first round, they can still get some value for Stafford in the offseason.

Chargers are not using Justin Herbert properly

Manzano’s view: fiction

It only took a two-game losing streak in September for many to anger the Los Angeles Chargers’ coaching staff, particularly offensive coordinator Greg Roman.

Many were quick to praise Roman and said that it was good for the team that Justin Herbert threw less as the Chargers beat the Raiders and Panthers in the first two games of the season. Now, many are saying the opposite because Herbert didn’t put up great numbers in consecutive losses to the Pittsburgh Steelers and Kansas City Chiefs.

The fact that the Chargers are making the last pass attempts this season (23.25 per game) is not ideal for a quarterback who makes an average annual salary of $52.5 million. They need to let Herbert showcase his elite skills a bit more or might as well trade him and go a cheaper route with a Sam Darnold-like quarterback. But there has to be a balance because Herbert didn’t carry the Chargers anywhere in the first four seasons of his career when he threw more than 40 times per game.

Jim Harbaugh’s long-term vision of a dominant running offense is still the way to go to help Herbert take over games in the final quarter if needed. But they were facing two of the best defenses in the league and Herbert was dealing with a nagging ankle injury. With an inexperienced group of experienced players in Los Angeles, this wasn’t going to be a quick fix. And it’s hard to see the vision when starting players Rashawn Slater and Joe Alt are dealing with injuries.

Harbaugh will have to make minor adjustments to fit Herbert, but the approach could pay off in the long run. Perhaps there should be less focus on Herbert and more attention on the defense, which allows a league-best 12.5 points per game.

Dolphins need more from Mike McDaniel

Manzano’s view: fact

Either the Dolphins make a trade for a quarterback, or it might be time to forgo the white flag of the season after another brutal offensive performance in a loss to the Tennessee Titans.

Of course, it depends on Tua Tagovailoa’s health, but they shouldn’t rush him back after he suffered another concussion earlier this season. Mike McDaniel has received a lot of credit for reviving Tagovailoa’s career, but it looks like McDaniel needed Tagovailoa as much as the quarterback needed the coach the last two seasons. McDaniel’s system isn’t quarterback-safe even with Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle on the field.

McDaniel hasn’t seen much from backup players Skylar Thompson and Tyler Huntley. And I’m not going to say, “Look at what Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell did with Darnold,” because he has a former first-round pick under center. That Packers coach Matt LaFleur won two games with Malik Willis is probably a better comparison. But McDaniel must at least have better game plans than what his offense showed in losses to the Seattle Seahawks and Titans. These games were over as soon as the opponent exceeded the 10-point mark.

Maybe we need to stop calling McDaniel an offensive mastermind until he produces better results from his undermanned offense. Yes, injuries are a problem, but even when McDaniel has healthy players, he has a hard time making in-game adjustments. The Dolphins need more from the head coach they recently re-signed.

Nabers-Jones was better than Harrison-Murray

Manzano’s view: fiction

I recently suggested in mine Winner and loser column that the New York Giants duo of Malik Nabers and Daniel Jones may play better than the Arizona Cardinals tandem of Marvin Harrison Jr. and Kyler Murray.

Come to think of it, that’s not the case, as Giants coach Brian Daboll probably wouldn’t think twice about trading Jones for Murray – the top two quarterbacks in the 2019 draft.

Jones has found some consistency because of Nabers’ performance, but there are reasons why Daboll settled for five field goals in last week’s loss to the Dallas Cowboys. Sure, Nabers was better than Harrison, but not by much. Both first-round rookie wide receivers are off to strong starts in their respective careers.

However, there is something about Murray that often leaves you wanting more. He is one of the league’s best playmakers but often has quiet periods, including in the back-to-back losses to the Detroit Lions and Washington Commanders. Murray is paid like a top-10 quarterback, even if he doesn’t often play at that level. I don’t remember Murray being as good as Jayden Daniels in the last three games with the Commanders, who beat the Cardinals last week.