Questioning the validity of Dave Ziegler as Raiders GM in the early going
Questioning the validity of Dave Ziegler as Raiders GM in the early going
Davante Adams and how he joined the Las Vegas Raiders
Through all the questionable moves, there’s one move Ziegler pulled off that was sure to be a success – Davante Adams. For this, Dave Ziegler deserves a ton of credit. Or does he?
Well, Las Vegas first-year general manager did get the deal done. He does deserve that much credit. That’s about the size of it, though.
Davante Adams was always going to be a Raider. Whether it was Reggie McKenzie, Mike Mayock, or Dave Ziegler manning the front office, the outcome would have remained the same. There’s a reason for that; Adams was adamant about joining his best friend Derek Carr in Las Vegas, and that was the hand forced upon Green Bay.
Adams made his decision to move on to the next chapter of his career after a lengthy talk with his former teammate Aaron Rodgers. During this conversation, the reigning back-to-back MVP expressed concern about his future in the NFL. Unsure how long he would continue playing shortly, Rodgers told Adams to do what Davante felt was best for him and his family.
So, Adams did just that.
"“Where do I want my kids to grow up? I love Green Bay but I’m a West Coast dude and a lot of family, especially my grandparents, haven’t been able to see me play in close to a decade of playing pro ball. It’s all the same people that’s coming. and it’s not a whole lot.”"
But of course, Adams wasn’t part of Green Bay’s front office, nor did he have a no-trade clause. How could it be that Green Bay had no real choice?
The Packers officially had their hands tied in the Davante Adams situation once they franchise-tagged their All-Pro wideout. Adams had informed the club he wouldn’t sign a tag well in advance, but it happened anyway.
Why wouldn’t it? He’s Davante Adams. You can’t simply let a player of his caliber walk.
Sure enough, Adams never had any intentions of signing it. In fact, he refers to the franchise tag as “A horrible thing for players.” At this point, Green Bay had two options: Get some return for their star receiver or get nothing.
Naturally, the team chose to come away with a few draft picks.
Adams made it clear he didn’t physically walk into his former GM’s office and demand a trade to Las Vegas, but he did want out, and the Raiders were always his preferred destination – by a lot. The Packers were always going to salute him by sending him where he wanted outside the NFC.
If Raiders’ general manager Dave Ziegler never picks up the phone, Davante Adams is indeed likely in a different uniform right now. But he did, and in doing so, a deal with the Silver and Black was always going to happen.