Getty Former Raiders WR Jerry Rice.
In the early 2000s, the Raiders had one of the greatest wide receiver duos ever between Hall of Famers Jerry Rice and Tim Brown. Both men were towards the back end of their careers but were still very productive wide receivers. Ever since those two left, the team has had a hard time figuring out the wide receiver position.
They’ve used first-round picks on draft busts like Darrius Heyward-Bey and spent big money on free agents like Javon Walker. That’s not to mention the star wide receivers they traded for who didn’t work out like Antonio Brown and Randy Moss. This offseason, the Raiders could have a great opportunity to solidify their wide receiver corps.
Green Bay Packers Pro Bowler Davante Adams played with Raiders quarterback Derek Carr in college and is set to be a free agent at the end of the year. If he doesn’t agree on a new contract with the Packers, he’ll be the hottest name in free agency.
Rice knows how talented Adams is and would love to see him team up with Carr again in Las Vegas.
“Oh my God, Davante Adams, oh my God,” Rice told Heavy in response to Adams possibly signing with the Raiders. “To have those two guys together, that would be awesome for the Raiders. And you got to have that connection, you got to have that go-to receiver. And you know, right now, I think DeSean Jackson, he can still take the layer off the top but you get a guy like Adams that can do it all, that can run around underneath, make those real difficult catches and also can threaten the defense by going deep to, it would be a great team.”
Rice has partnered with Marriott Bonvoy for their 2021-22 Super Bowl packages. He’s offering the chance for a Virtual Super Bowl LVI Chalk Talk and a Coaching Session for a winning youth football team for members.
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Rice May Be Onto Something
Getty ImagesDavante Adams runs with the ball against the Washington Football Team on October 24, 2021.
DeSean Jackson is 35-years-old but has proven that he still has speed. He’s expressed that he’d like to finish his career with the Raiders. If he has another year in him, he could provide the speedy deep threat the team needs. Adams is arguably the best wide receiver in the NFL but he’s not known for his speed. He ran a 4.56 40-yard dash when he was heading into the league.
Should the Raiders land Adams in free agency, bringing a guy like Jackson back would be wise, as Rice noted. He’ll keep defenses honest due to his ability as a deep threat while Adams does everything else. It’d be similar to the formula the Raiders had with Rice and Brown or their original iconic wide receiver duo in Cliff Branch and Fred Biletnikoff.
Will Adams Actually Leave the Packers?
While Adams will be one of the most sought-after free agents of the last decade should he leave the Packers, there’s no guarantee he’ll actually leave the team that drafted him. Green Bay has made the playoffs in five of Adams’ seven seasons and could end 2021 with a Super Bowl win.
Adams’ decision could come down to what quarterback Aaron Rodgers decides to do this offseason. Prior to the season, it looked like his days as a Packer were over. He decided to give them one more season and seek other employment in 2022. However, nothing helps healing relationships more than winning. If the Packers win the Super Bowl this year, that could open up the door for both Rodgers and Adams to return to Green Bay. Anything short of that and both could be looking for new teams in the offseason.
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