The Las Vegas Raiders have been without a true, bonified number one receiver. The front office has attempted to fill the void with various rookies and free agents over the years, but none has panned out. That all changed on March 17, 2022.
The offseason discussions surrounding the Raiders have been similar for the last five years. Should the Raiders trade Derek Carr, look for a rookie, or grow the offense and defense around him? The constant questions, debates, and suggestions have been tiresome. One of the primary arguments on the pro-Carr side of the debate has been that he has never had a legitimate threat at receiver. After the 2021 season concluded, the consensus was that Carr would be successful and deserve to stay if they were to draft a Ja’Marr Chase-type receiver. Well, new head coach Josh McDaniels and general manager Dave Ziegler one-upped that.
How about the Davante Adams trade?
That’s right. The receiver that Raiders fans have been drooling over since he entered the league in 2014 is now wearing Silver and Black. Adams has signed a five-year deal with the Raiders for a total of nearly $141.3 million. The Raiders also had to send the Green Bay Packers two picks in the 2022 draft: the Raiders’ first-round pick at number 22 and their second-round pick at number 53.
While it hurts to give up two draft picks of that caliber, the Raiders have not exactly been striking gold in recent draft selections and the stars truly aligned for this to happen. Let’s look at the timeline of how this all transpired:
- Carr openly declares to the media that he would love to play with his old college (Fresno State) teammate Adams. Carr even suggests that he would buy Adams a car if he came to Las Vegas.
- Adams confirms he would love to play with Carr if he was no longer playing in Green Bay.
- Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers signs his contract extension, all but verifying that Adams would also be staying in Green Bay.
- The Green Bay Packers put the franchise tag on Adams. Adams says that he will not play under the franchise tag and has suggested he wants a contract in the range of $30 million a year.
- The Raiders work through free agency, making cap space while still signing Chandler Jones and other pieces to build up both sides of the ball.
- March 17, 2022, Adams is signed by the Raiders for a 5-year contract.
Adams preferred to play with Carr over Rodgers
What is fascinating about this timeline is that it was reported that Aaron Rodgers knew that once he signed his contract, Adams was likely no longer going to play for Green Bay. What adds to the veracity of this deal is that Green Bay offered Davante Adams the same contract the Raiders presented to him, but Adams opted to head out to Las Vegas and reunite with his college quarterback. Adams chose Carr over Rodgers. There is no doubt that Rodgers is one of the best quarterbacks of all time and that he played a big part in the success of Adams. However, this is still a fact that can’t be overlooked.
The Raiders have secured the best receiver in the National Football League. Dave Ziegler has armed Carr with one of the best route runners in the game, who has set the league on fire with receiving and touchdown records. Adams has consistently logged 1,000-yard receiving seasons, led the league in touchdowns, and outdueled some of the league’s best defensive backs year after year.
No more excuses…
The Raiders, specifically Carr, have no more excuses. The Raiders’ front office has made a huge gamble and is going all in on the 2022 season. With a few more additions (hopefully to the offensive line), the Raiders can take the lead in the arms race that is the AFC West. The Raiders will have six slugfests per season against Russell Wilson, Pat Mahomes, and Justin Herbert, and this was the move that had to be made to keep the Raiders competitive.
For now, let’s admire the gumption it took to pull off a move of this magnitude and just be grateful that the finest receiver in the NFL is now calling Allegiant Stadium his home field. Welcome to Raider Nation, Davante.
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*Top Photo: AP Photo/Morry Gash