The Las Vegas Raiders showed how much they value quarterback Derek Carr this offseason. They first traded for wide receiver Davante Adams and later gave him a multi-year extension. Carr should see an uptick in production in 2022 due to Adam’s arrival but he won’t be the only beneficiary.
Former NFL wide receiver Torry Holt appeared on the set of NFL Total Access. He was asked which wide receiver will have the biggest impact on his new team and he went with the “long-hanging fruit“. Holt argues that Adams will draw coverage away from teammates Hunter Renfrow and tight end Darren Waller.
Well, I guess I’ll go with the low-hanging fruit here. And everyone’s been talking about this, Davante Adams. Here’s why. He can elevate all the other receivers on his roster. He’s going to draw two [defenders]. Renfrow, Waller, those guys are now going to get one-on-one opportunities. Can they get it done? But to me, the mighty Adams elevates everyone and will help take this wide receiver corps to another level.
If someone knows a thing or two about playing wide receiver, it’s Holt. A member of the Greatest Show on Turf, he earned seven Pro Bowl designations and a First-Team All-Pro selection. For that reason, his opinion carries weight, and everyone should listen when he says Adams will have a significant impact for the Silver and Black from Day 1.
The Raiders are getting bang for their buck in Davante Adams
A second-round pick in the 2014 draft, Adams has logged 432 receptions for 5,310 yards with 47 touchdowns. He’s the bona fide No. 1 receiver Carr has needed but has not had in recent years. As Holt noted, opposing defenses will no longer be able to double Waller or Renfrow. Moreover, running back Josh Jacobs will also benefit, as he should see lighter boxes more often with teams devoting more resources to trying to stop Adams.
You could make the case that the Raiders paid a premium for Adams. However, they needed to load on weapons if they wanted to keep up with their AFC West archrivals. The Kansas City Chiefs traded Tyreek Hill, but they drafted Skyy Moore and signed Marquez Valdes-Scantling. Meanwhile, the Los Angeles Chargers managed to retain Mike Williams and landed someone the Silver and Black knows well. Last but not least, the Denver Broncos got the quarterback position right after several failed attempts and traded for Russell Wilson.
The Raiders had the 11th best offense last year but ranked 18th in points scored. Adams should help them move up a few spots and fix their red-zone woes. Similarly, Renfrow and Wallers should see an uptick in production, even if Adams ‘steal’ a few targets from them.
There’s only so much the Raiders could do in one offseason. Although the offensive line remains a question, there’s no doubt Adams will give the offense a boost.
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*Top Photo: Benjamin Hager/Las Vegas Review-Journal