Davante Adams to the Las Vegas Raiders changes everything

We’ve heard the rumors for years now. How has it all of a sudden come to pass?

Reuniting with college teammate Derek Carr is something Adams has publicly expressed interest in for some time now. Truth be told, it’s been talked about for so long that it almost started to feel like a pipe dream. Even as recent as this off-season, it continued to stray away from the realm of reality.

When Green Bay quarterback Aaron Rodgers signed his three-year extension this off-season, it sounded almost certain Davante Adams was returning as well. After all, before signing his contract, Rodgers stated wherever he lands, he would want Adams to be beside him. As the Packers continued to make cap space, they eventually cleared enough money to offer him the same contract Las Vegas did.

Adams would reject Green Bay’s offer, forcing a trade to the one destination he welcomed.

Behind closed doors, this trade was in the works for a while. As it turned out, when Rodgers signed his extension, he did so knowing Davante Adams would not play another down of football for the Packers. The relationship between Adams and the organization was silently deteriorating, eventually reaching an unrepairable state.

On the Raiders’ side, what makes this such a shock is the willingness of Las Vegas to target both Chark and Robinson. The Raiders negotiated with Chark on the first day of legal tampering, and later with Allen Robinson until he was signed mid-day yesterday. In the meanwhile, the front office was putting together a deal for Davante Adams, even while trying to sign other quality wideouts.

One has to assume this means the Raiders aren’t done with adding receiving talent, likely doing so in the 2022 NFL draft.

It cannot be understated how culture-shifting this move is. Adams brings an enormous amount of talent, and the resume to back it up. Claiming the Raiders’ new receiver is going to change the direction of this team is easy, so let’s go beyond that; Let’s explain how.