Getty Las Vegas Raiders WR Davante Adams.
The Las Vegas Raiders are having one of the biggest names in the NFL join the team in Davante Adams. They landed the star wide receiver in a trade with the Green Bay Packers and then made him the highest-paid wide receiver in the league. Naturally, with so much fan excitement surrounding the addition of one player, a lot of Adams jerseys are bound to be sold in the coming months.
The wide receiver donned No. 15 in college before switching to No. 17 in the NFL. It was possible he could revert to his old number now that he’s playing with Fresno State teammate Derek Carr. However, Adams has decided to stick with his NFL number. He will be wearing No. 17 for the Raiders.
Looks like Davante Adams will wear #17 for the Raiders #RaiderNation
Carr has had his most success with wide receivers who wear No. 15. Notably, Michael Crabtree, Nelson Agholor and Adams in college all wore the number. Obviously, that’s just a coincidence and Carr should have a prolific connection with Adams almost immediately.
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Trading for Adams Named Raiders’ Best Move
Heading into the offseason, the Raiders’ biggest need was finding a No. 1 wide receiver. After Adams got the franchise tag and many of the best options signed elsewhere, it looked like the team would have to wait until the draft to address the need. That was until the Raiders dropped a bombshell and traded for Adams.
Las Vegas gave up first and second picks in this year’s draft for the right to make Adams the highest-paid wide receiver in the NFL. While some didn’t think that was a great move for the Raiders to make, others believe it greatly improves the team. Ben Linsey of Pro Football Focus believes it’s the best move the team has made this offseason:
Davante Adams was the Raiders’ best-case scenario in terms of adding a wide receiver to pair with Hunter Renfrow and Darren Waller. Adams’ 2.88 receiving yards per route run since 2020 lead all receivers. He can win in all areas of the field and from all alignments. It certainly wasn’t an insignificant investment from Las Vegas to trade for him and lock him up long-term, but Adams gives them a shot to compete in 2022.
Expectations for Adams in Year 1
Expectations for Adams’ first year in silver and black will be sky high, and they should be. He’s been the best wide receiver in the NFL over the last two seasons and now gets to reunite with his college quarterback who helped him become a second-round draft pick. There shouldn’t be much of a learning curve for Adams or a slow start. He should hit the ground running in Week 1.
He’s already got a great rapport with Carr and will work hard this offseason to understand Josh McDaniels’ offense. There’s no reason he can’t be among the NFL’s leaders in receiving yards and touchdowns next season. Carr isn’t on the same level as Aaron Rodgers when it comes to playing quarterback but his trust in Adams should lead to him seeing similar numbers in Las Vegas.
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