Getty Davante Adams with Aaron Rodgers.
There was speculation for months about Davante Adams possibly going to the Las Vegas Raiders to play with Derek Carr. He even went so far as to say it would be a dream to play with his old college quarterback. However, nobody took those comments too seriously as it was impossible to fathom that the Green Bay Packers would let him go.
Now that Adams is a Raider, it’s clear in hindsight that he was being quite serious about the idea of playing with Carr. While Las Vegas now has a great player joining the team, the Packers are now a mess at wide receiver. Head coach Matt LaFleur was not happy to see Adams leave the team but still had a nice message for the five-time Pro Bowler.
“Sometimes you got to make some tough decisions,” LaFleur said, via NFL.com. “Certainly appreciate everything Davante brought to our team. I mean, he is the best receiver in the National Football League, so that was a tough one for me personally and for our organization.”
LaFleur was then asked if the team tried to talk Adams out of leaving but that door was already closed.
“Well, there really wasn’t anything to talk about,” LaFleur said. “I mean, you’re going through a contract negotiation and certainly, it was just one of those deals where, like I said, a lot of tough decisions had to be made.”
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Packers Had No Choice but to Trade Adams
In a perfect world for the Packers, Adams would’ve signed a contract extension to stay in Green Bay for a long time. He got to play with the best quarterback in the NFL in Aaron Rodgers and for a team that has consistently won for years. However, the allure of playing closer to his family was too strong. Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst didn’t see any way to convince Adams to stay with the team.
“Not at the end of the day,” Gutekunst said when asked if things could’ve ended differently, via The Athletic. “Those are really tough decisions, and to lose a player of his caliber and what he’s done for the organization, those are hard decisions … But at the same time, I think once we got through the discussions with Davante after the season, this was what was best for the organization and Davante moving forward.”
In the end, the Packers do get a first and second pick out of the deal. They also get a big chunk of cap space to spend elsewhere. It’s not easy to replace a player like Adams but at least they were able to get something for him.
Raiders Won’t Regret the Trade
Trading away high draft picks is always a risky proposition. Landing impact players on rookie contracts is a great way to win Super Bowls. However, the draft is also highly risky. Less than half of all first-round picks will turn into difference-makers. The Raiders know this well as they’ve drafted many busts over the last two decades.
Adams is a sure thing and he fills one of the team’s biggest needs. The wide receiver is almost 30 but he’s a hard worker and his style of play should make him a consistent weapon for a long time.
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