Getty Green Bay Packers WR Davante Adams.
Things are getting real contentious for the Green Bay Packers. MVP quarterback Aaron Rodgers doesn’t appear eager to end his holdout and just turned down a contract extension that would make him the highest-paid quarterback, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter. Things could be getting even worse for the team as they are in danger of now losing their best wide receiver.
According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, Davante Adams has “broken off” contract extension negotiations. The All-Pro is in the last year of a contract and will be one of the most highly sought-after players in next year’s free agency.
It’s not just Aaron Rodgers: The #Packers and star WR Davante Adams have broken off long-term extension talks. There are no current plans to resume them. The two sides have been negotiating for months, but they are now in a bad place, sources say. First the QB, now the No. 1 WR.
The Las Vegas Raiders are a team that will likely be watching this situation closely. Adams played college football at Fresno State with quarterback Derek Carr. He recently said it would be a “dream” to play with his former college quarterback. If the Packers don’t want to pay Adams, the Raiders should. He might just be the best wide receiver in the NFL and has an amazing rapport with Carr.
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Adams Sends Message to Derek Carr
Carr has been aggressively recruiting Adams to the Raiders this offseason. He even went so far as to say he’d buy him a car if that would help convince him to join the team. Interestingly, Carr posted a picture about training camp starting up soon and Adams decided to comment “Lets go!”
Does Davante Adams want to be on the Raiders?
Derek Carr posted on his Instagram. “Camp around the corner. Show up with a purpose.”
Adams: “Let’s Go!”
How about Let’s Go get this man a #Raiders uniform!
Now, considering the friendship he has with Carr, this comment probably doesn’t mean much. However, any interaction he has with the quarterback is going to be notable until he signs his next contract. Unless Green Bay figures things out with Rodgers, it’s hard to imagine Adams will want to return to the team.
Signing Adams May Not Be That Simple
In a perfect world, Adams will play out the season and hit free agency after it’s over. Unfortunately for the Raiders, things are never that simple with a player of his caliber. Though the Packers don’t typically use the franchise tag, they may have to with Adams. It makes no sense to simply let him walk in free agency. If they franchise him with no intention of reaching a long-term deal, they can still trade him for a king’s ransom.
Yes, teams aren’t going to love the idea of having to trade a bunch of assets for the right to sign a player to a massive deal but Adams is good enough to make it worth it. From the Packers’ point of view, getting something in return is still better than nothing. Even it was just a second-round pick. However, his looming contract won’t scare too many teams away. We’ve seen players like Khalil Mack get traded with a looming mega-contract and that deal got the Raiders two first-round picks. The Packers will likely be able to at least get one first-round pick for the rights to sign Adams. That’s not ideal for the Raiders but it could be worth it if Henry Ruggs and/or Bryan Edwards don’t play well in Year 2.
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