The 2021 NFL season is over for the Green Bay Packers, and it ended in a very disappointing fashion. Following their loss to the San Francisco 49ers, could Davante Adams have played his last game as a Packer? More importantly, should the Las Vegas Raiders back up the Brinks truck this offseason?
It is no secret that the Raiders are in need of a true No. 1 wide receiver after the abrupt and devastating end to Henry Ruggs III’s career with the team. Derek Carr has not had the luxury of having a consistent top receiver since Amari Cooper was traded to the Dallas Cowboys in the middle of the 2018 season. The Raiders either need to find a stud receiver in free agency or go searching in the 2022 NFL draft. The Raiders may have a solution located just a few states east of Nevada.
Would the Packers actually move on?
The Packers have had an elite duo on their offense with Aaron Rodgers and Adams. The two have been ravaging the NFC for eight seasons together, where Adams has amassed over 8,000 yards receiving on 669 receptions with 73 touchdowns. Adams has put together over 1,000 receiving yards in three of those seasons and was just three yards short of 1,000 in two others.
Popular opinion within the NFL is that Adams is the best receiver in the league, known for his elite route running and clutch ability to track and catch the ball in the tightest of circumstances. While it certainly helps that he is catching passes from one of the best quarterbacks of all time in Rodgers, the Raiders have something to offer Adams that no other team in the league can: his old college quarterback in Carr.
Carr and Adams have a deep-rooted history
In the 2012 and 2013 seasons at Fresno State, Carr and Adams compiled 223 completions for 3,031 yards and 38 touchdowns. One of the issues with the Raiders drafting a receiver is that developing the chemistry required for a quarterback and receiver to truly gel takes a significant number of repetitions and time together. Anyone who watched the Raiders in 2020 noticed that Ruggs and Carr weren’t quite on the same page, but after a season together, they appeared to be on the same page on and off the field in 2021.
There would be little time required to get Adams and Carr on the same page, so little in fact that by Week 1, I’d be willing to guarantee at least one Adams touchdown.
It is no secret that Carr has been tracking Adams’ situation in Green Bay, where he is set to become a free agent this offseason, pending some type of extension offer by the Packers. Carr stated on the Cris Collinsworth Podcast that “Adams is one of my best friends. I’m going to offer him whatever I’ve got to offer. I’ll buy him a car. Whatever I’ve got to do, I’ll offer that man. I know he would fit in great with the receivers we have here.“
Carr has also said that “I would always welcome playing 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 that will be a full court press.”
Carr needs to roll out the red carpet
Well, it may be time for that full court press, Derek. Adams has indicated to the press that his future decisions could very well depend on where Rodgers ends up after the 2021 NFL season. Rodgers has already said after the Saturday night loss to the 49ers, a premature loss that many did not expect, that he would be reevaluating his future in Green Bay and has no interest in being part of a rebuild. With the Packers being approximately $50 million over the cap, they will have to make some tough decisions in the future, and a massive extension for the best receiver in the league may not be a part of that.
The Raiders are ranked 13th as far as available cap space and are clearly in the market for a top receiver, whether it is through the draft or free agency, but it is a true need for the team. We watched the Raiders struggle as soon as Ruggs departed, and the speedy veteran presence of DeSean Jackson wasn’t the solution to the problem. The Raiders could draft a receiver, but with the expectation that Carr would not be quite on the same page as the newcomer for another season. The Raiders have finally broken through that playoff drought, and fans are expecting an even better push for the 2022 season. A year of waiting for Carr and a rookie to click is not ideal but making a blockbuster signing and bringing the best wide receiver to the desert is exactly what the team needs.
Adams is a surefire upgrade for the Raiders
Adams would be an immediate upgrade to the receiving corps. His polished route running and incredible catching ability would help elevate the other receivers, and this would be an immediate boost for Carr. One of his best friends, Khalil Mack, was traded even after Carr took a pay cut to help make space for the star edge rusher, who ended up being shipped out to the Chicago Bears regardless. It would only be right for the Raiders’ front office to bring back one of Carr’s closest friends, Adams, to rejuvenate a team that has been struggling offensively.
If the Raiders want a guarantee that the offense will become more lethal in the 2022 season, Mark Davis needs to open up his checkbook and sign Adams for both the team and the fans. Carr wants Adams in Las Vegas, and for once, the entire fanbase, Raider Nation, is on his side.
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*Top Photo: AP Photo/Morry Gash