A high-profile Green Bay Packer is being linked to the Las Vegas Raiders in the news this week, All-Pro wide receiver, Davante Adams.
No, it’s not Aaron Rodgers; it’s his number one receiver. Adams and Derek Carr exchanged pleasantries this week in a welcome sight for Raider Nation. Adams says it would be a dream to play with Derek Carr. The feeling is certainly mutual from his old college quarterback at Fresno State.
Carr told ABC30 in Las Vegas:
“I would always welcome to play with him again. I think it would unlock some things in both of us that people haven’t seen yet. I’m always open to that and I will be recruiting very hard. When that time comes, it will be a full-court press.”
What are the odds the Packers would let their high-profile target walk in free agency? If they have any hope of maintaining championship dreams: Slim. Funny enough, a reported potential contract extension has since gone viral.
What are the Raiders’ odds of snatching him up?
Davante Adams’ resume
To know what the Raiders would get with Adams, let’s look at his resume.
In seven seasons with the Packers, Adams has amassed 546 receptions, 6,568 yards, and 62 touchdowns. Those are impressive numbers, made more mind-bending when you realize his first two years only produced a total of four touchdowns.
Playing with Rodgers can get you some gaudy numbers, but Adams’ stats stand out beyond the pack.
2020 was his best year. Look up and down the league rankings and you’ll see ’17’ dominating. More touchdowns than Tyreek Hill. More receptions than Travis Kelce. Better than any wide receiver in receiving yards/game.
He’s only 28 years old. If there is any chance he becomes available, Gruden needs to do everything in his power to steal this playmaker and put him to work. He would command a lot of money. Would it be worth it?
The Raiders and Davante Adams
The Raiders receiving group with Adams is the best wide receiver corps in the league.
Read it again. Read it a thousand times.
Stefon Diggs taught us a valuable lesson in obtaining real talent in its prime. Some balked at the high price Buffalo paid for Diggs. Using a first-round pick on top of absorbing his contract was a steep price to pay.
The Bills would do it again 100 out of 100 times. Adams is arguably the 1b to Diggs 1a. They’re nearly identical in age, and their stats were close in 2020. Diggs had 127 receptions; Adams had 115. Diggs had 1,535 yards; Adams had 1,374.
The price doesn’t matter.
The Raiders would boast a receiving core of Adams, Darren Waller, Henry Ruggs III, Bryan Edwards, Hunter Renfrow, John Brown, Foster Moreau, and Zay Jones. Throw in Kenyan Drake who will be a threat out of the backfield.
How does a defense plan for that?
Double Waller? Adams will cook you.
Lock in on Adams and shade Waller? Hunter Renfrow puts a linebacker in the spin cycle.
Bring a safety up to help? There goes Henry Ruggs deep.
Drop everyone back? Carr checks to a Josh Jacobs rush attempt.
The possibilities are limitless. Gruden would have tools he hasn’t had since 2002 when Jerry Rice and Mr. Raider took turns embarrassing NFL corners. If you can’t make the playoffs with those weapons, blow up the whole roster.
Hesitation is understandable. Randy Moss came over and wet the bed. Antonio Brown froze his feet. Martavis Bryant was an absolute waste of a draft pick. Acquiring Adams is everything they’re not. He’s a proven winner with undeniable skills.
Is Adams a Pipe Dream?
Ultimately, picking up Adams is probably not going to be a reality. The Packers are going to do everything they can to lock him down, and he’ll end up the highest-paid wide receiver in the NFL in the process.
The cynical take is that he’s probably using the Raiders to light a fire under the Packers. To be conspiratorial, Derek may even have a hand in it for all we know. If he knows there is no shot, why wouldn’t he lobby for one of his best friends if it meant he got a payday?
The Packers are calling him a priority so we may never get Adams in Silver and Black.
We’ve seen crazier things happen though. It would have been hard to imagine Rodgers giving Green Bay the cold shoulder. He has yet to show up for voluntary work.
If things go south with Rodgers look for Adams to be an option. He won’t tie another contract to Jordan Love. Losing Rodgers would signal deep turmoil in Lambeau and could be enough to scare Adams into the waiting arms of Mike Mayock.
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*Top Photo: Associated Press/Morry Gash