Getty Davante Adams #17 of the Green Bay Packers scores in a touchdown against the Seattle Seahawks in the third quarter of the NFC Divisional Playoff game at Lambeau Field on January 12, 2020 in Green Bay, Wisconsin.
The Green Bay Packers are sending two-time All-Pro wide receiver Davante Adams to the Las Vegas Raiders in a blockbuster trade that will net them two prime picks in the 2022 NFL draft, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
In exchange, the Packers will be getting a 2022 first-round pick (No. 22 overall) and a 2022 second-round pick (No. 53 overall) from the Raiders in the trade. They will now have two picks in each of the first two rounds and seven total in the first 140 selections of this year’s draft, giving them plenty of assets to acquire new weapons.
Trade compensation, per league sources:
Packers are getting back 2022 first- and second-round picks in return for Davante Adams.
Additionally, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network said the Raiders are giving Adams a new contract worth $141.25 million over five years. Adams will now make an average of $28.25 million per season, making him the highest-paid wide receiver in the league.
Adams has been on a trail-blazing path for the Packers over the past two seasons, setting single-season franchise records for most receptions (123) and most receiving yards (1,553) in 2021 and tying the single-season record for most touchdowns (18) in 2020. Since 2020, he also leads the NFL with 15 games of 100-plus receiving yards.
Now, Adams will become the top weapon for Raiders quarterback Derek Carr — his former college quarterback — instead of four-time MVP Aaron Rodgers.
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Adams Turned Down Packers’ Extension Offer
Give the Packers some credit: They did genuinely try to keep Adams in Green Bay.
The Packers had used the $20.12 million franchise tag on Adams for the 2022 season earlier this month, making a move that both prevented him from hitting unrestricted free agency and bought them until July 15 to work out a long-term contract extension. According to ESPN’s Rob Demovsky, they even made a competitive offer to Adams that would have paid him “equally to what the Raiders are with his new deal.”
Ultimately, though, Adams was more interested in “playing elsewhere.”
The good news is the Packers have the means to quickly reload their arsenal with receiving talent. It will be difficult to completely replace the value of an elite pass-catcher like Adams, but the additional $20 million in cap space they will gain by moving him off of their books will allow them to aggressively pursue a veteran free agent. They are also gaining two premium picks, either of which could be devoted to a new wideout.
Could Valdes-Scantling Get Extension Instead?
One thing that could happen now that Adams has been traded is the possible return of Marquez Valdes-Scantling in free agency. The 2018 fifth-round pick caught 123 passes for 2,153 yards and 13 touchdowns over his first four seasons with the team, dealing with bouts of injuries and inconsistencies but also establishing himself as one of the league’s most dangerous deep threats with nine catches of 40-plus yards since 2019.
Originally, the optics were bad on a possible extension. Valdes-Scantling was expected to have a market that could pay him as much as $10 million per year, which was far too much for the Packers to handle with a franchise-tagged Adams taking up so much cap space. The departure of Adams, though, will free up more than enough space for the team to explore bringing back their fleeted-footed receiver — should they choose.