Getty Las Vegas Raiders WR Davante Adams.
Dating back to last offseason, Las Vegas Raiders wide receiver Davante Adams has been the subject of trade rumors. The team hasn’t had a winning record in either of his two seasons and they still have major question marks at quarterback.
Despite that, Adams has continuously made it clear that he doesn’t want to be traded. He reiterated once again.
“If I wanted to be gone, I’d be gone by now,” Adams told Tash Reed of The Athletic in an April 14 interview. “This is where I want to be.”
This echoes what general manager Tom Telesco said recently when he called Adams a “Raider.” It doesn’t appear that either side has a desire for a trade. Adams is under contract for three more seasons and is still one of the team’s best players. The offense took hits in free agency with the loss of running back Josh Jacobs and wide receiver Hunter Renfrow. The Raiders can’t afford to give up more Pro Bowl talent on offense.
In case you were curious about @tae15adams commitment to the #Raiders… Question by @AdamHillLVRJ. @VegasNation
Davante Adams Talks Antonio Pierce’s Impact
Davante Adams was one of the many Raiders who let owner Mark Davis know that he needed to retain Antonio Pierce as head coach. Had the team gone in a different direction, the offseason might not be so harmonious.
Adams thinks that Pierce’s presence is having a positive impact on the team.
“It’s already helped the morale of the team,” Adams said. “It’s what we were all looking for: To be able to continue with the same mindset that we had. That’s our guy. We’ve got to get to work now. … It’s about what we go out there and do.”
Team morale was very low under former head coach Josh McDaniels but Pierce was able to turn things around seemingly overnight. Now that he’s going to have a full offseason under his belt, it’ll be interesting to see what he can do.
Davante Adams Knows There’s a Lot of Work Ahead
The Raiders were trending upward toward the end of last season but this is already set to be a much different team. Most of the offensive coaching staff has been rebuilt and the team has made several key roster moves.
Davante Adams has big goals but knows the kind of work it takes to reach them.
“It’s obvious what we want to do,” Adams said, “but it’s a lot of work that needs to get put in before you can even talk about doing that.”
Adams takes his role as a team captain very seriously. He’s been working hard this offseason and he expects that from his teammates.
“I got to be the type of guy that’s about business and not just about talk,” Adams said. “If I’m going to be that, I expect that from everybody else.”
When a team’s best player is going the extra mile to get ready for the season, that can be contagious for other players. Star defensive end Maxx Crosby has also been a motivator in this regard. The Raiders have been setting themselves up for success for the 2024 season but time will tell if they have enough talent to get over the playoff hump.