When the Packers traded Davante Adams to the Raiders, it sent shockwaves throughout the NFL. Widely considered one of the top wide receivers in the league, the thought of trading him seemed unthinkable. Even Aaron Rodgers, who called Adams the best player he has ever shared the field with, seemed to be taken aback by the news.
As Davante Adams was approaching the end of his current contract at the end of the 2021 season, rumors of a massive extension began to circulate. The numbers Adams put up with Rodgers under center put him right up there with the elite wide receivers in the league.
The question remains, can he produce those same numbers with Derek Carr? One Packers legend doesn’t believe so.
In an interview with TMZ, Brett Favre had this to say:
“No disrespect to Davante at all — zero disrespect. I do think that Davante will make Derek Carr better and, in time, they will be a dynamic duo. Now will it be the duo that Aaron and Davante had? Time will tell,” Favre told TMZ.
“I think Derek Carr’s a very good quarterback, but he’s not in Aaron’s league yet. And may never be, and that’s no disrespect either, but I do think that Davante owes a great deal of gratitude to Aaron and the Packers drafting him. That’s not to say he’s not a great player because he is a tremendous player and we’ll see that with Las Vegas. But it’s just hard to shift gears, especially from a player as prolific as Aaron Rodgers. I’d be shocked if he had the same year he’s had the previous year. That’s not to say he can’t do it, but I would be shocked.”
I agree with Favre on this one. Davante Adams definitely downgraded at the quarterback position. While he did tally nearly 5,000 yards this year, Carr also completed 14 passes to opposing defenses and was among the league’s worst under-pressure situations in I believe Adams will make Carr look a lot better than he is.
The Return
In return for Davante Adams, the Packers received the 22nd and 53rd picks in the 2022 NFL Draft. The 22nd pick was used to draft Georgia linebacker Quay Walker, and the 53rd pick was traded to Minnesota for the 34th, which was used to draft North Dakota State wide receiver, Christian Watson. The latter has the potential to fill Adam’s shoes in the Packers’ offense.
A Brief Retrospective
As much as I hate to do it, let’s quickly look back at the NFC Divisional game versus San Francisco. Things looked great on that first drive, with the Packers’ offense striking paydirt first. Then… the wheels just fell off. Rodgers got tunnel vision, throwing the ball up to a double-covered Davante Adams, despite DeGuara, Lazard, and Cobb all open for quick shallow passes throughout the game. In fact, those three ran a combined 75 routes and were only targeted three times throughout the Divisional game. Adams was targeted 11 times.
Could the Davante Adams Trade be a Blessing in Disguise?
I certainly hope so. Rodgers will have to distribute the ball more evenly, potentially making the offense more balanced. I hope it leads to Aaron Jones and AJ Dillion getting much more involved in the passing game. Allen Lazard and Christian Watson will likely be the top two receivers and Robert Tonyan will be back, and hopefully fully recovered from his knee injury. However, only time will tell.
Regardless, I wish Davante Adams the best in Las Vegas and hope one day he makes his way back home.