When news broke that the Raiders and Davante Adams were quickly approaching a split, with Las Vegas reportedly open to a trade deal centered around a second-round pick for the former three-time All-Pro, it sent a ripple of shock across the NFL landscape.
Would Adams end up with the New York Jets, reuniting with Aaron Rodgers for the second time in his NFL career after a fantastic run in Green Bay? Or would he instead go to a team like the New England Patriots, Washington Commanders or Pittsburgh Steelers, all of whom have looked to improve their receivers room for most of the 2024 calendar year, with all three names heavily featured in Brandon Aiyuk’s report earlier this year? The Raiders certainly wouldn’t trade Adams to the Chiefs, would they? Although getting a first-round pick from the Chiefs for a player who is only getting older as the season goes on could become a classic example of a team selling a player early while he still has incredible value.
What about the Packers? Sure, they already traded Adams in search of a soft reset, but Jordan Love has since become one of the best young players in the NFL. Take into account that his team is currently 2-2 despite being without Love over the last few games and adding an elite player like Adams to the roster might just be what the doctor ordered for Green Bay to move over the top and out of an NFC North division. headlined by the undefeated Minnesota Vikings, and it could be a good time for a Wisconsin reunion before an incredibly consequential season comes to a close.
Factor in the team’s asset pool, which includes both players and picks, and the opportunity is there for the Packers to present an offer comparable to any other team in the NFL, with the possibility that an Adams addition would produce an outsized return on investment. so than almost any other player potentially on the block. If the Packers really want to go all-in on their young core, they need to deal Christian Watson and a second-round pick and get this thing done.
The Green Bay Packers offense is one WR1 away from being dangerous
To Brian Gutekunst’s credit, the Packers have done a very good job of building a team organically around Love as a franchise quarterback, acquiring quality players like Jayden Reed, Romeo Doubs, Tucker Kraft and Christian Watson in the draft while filling out the group with players. like Josh Jacobs and Xavier McKinney in free agency.
As crazy as it sounds, among the Packers players who were drafted, which makes 44only seven went undrafted by the Packers, meaning the team has truly mastered the art of scouting players or feels good enough about their coaching staff to know they will be able to develop the players she will bring to town, regardless of their academic background.
Or maybe, just maybe, the Packers haven’t found the “right” player to spend their money on, with Gutekunst feeling rather selective about his team this early in their process.
Technically, if Green Bay brought back Adams, they would have the cake and eat it too, because they already know what kind of player the Raiders Pro Bowler can be, since he has been with the team for the vast majority of his career. and they wouldn’t even have to gamble with their local hot streak, because they could trade Watson, a player who fits what the Raiders like more than a second-round pick to Las Vegas and technically still have 44 Packers rookies on the list. .
Now, of course, Adams technically on the same timeline as Love? No, at 31 years old, Adams would be sort of the second-oldest player on the Raiders roster, if you can believe it, but he should still have a few years left as a premier player before things get worse. are really collapsing, and during this window, the Packers are going to be firmly in win-now mode.
With a slew of WR2s and WR3s already on the roster alongside a legitimate top-10 quarterback and elite running back in Jacobs, the Packers really have a chance to make some noise in the playoffs this season but also for years to come; if they can add a true WR1 to make Love’s life easier, it could bring down the team’s ceiling in the future.
Christian Watson fits what the Las Vegas Raiders are looking for at WR
Although he’s been gone for years now, the late, great Al Davis had a philosophy that has stuck with the Raiders organization for decades now: You can’t teach speed.
Now admitted, that philosophy didn’t always work, as they selected Darrius Heyward-Bey over Percy Harvin, Jacoby Ford over tight end Dennis Pitta, and Henry Ruggs III over Jerry Jeudy, CeeDee Lamb, and Justin Jefferson, but in a In a league where everyone is looking for a competitive advantage, few plays can have a more significant impact on an outcome than a deep bomb down the field for a touchdown.
Can the Raiders make do with what they have, with varsity DJ Turner hopefully becoming a legitimate deep threat with his 4.26 speed? Potentially yes, but boy, adding a receiver like Watson would seriously boost their process going forward, as few players possess his unique combination of size and speed.
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Standing 6-foot-4, 208 pounds with legitimate 4.36 speedWatson recorded 1,113 yards and 13 touchdowns with an average of 15 yards per reception as a professional during his 27-game career. Sure, he’s not a “complete” wide receiver, as he has yet to master a full NFL route tree, but his play has been impressive enough to line him up for a significant extension in the future not too far away. although it doesn’t quite reach the level of Adams’ current deal.
If the Packers aren’t convinced Watson is still more than just another player but believe Adams can be that guy for the next few years, then abandon the North Dakota State product’s services in pursuit of a true WR1 upgrade might just be worth pursuing.
Packers must be players in Davante Adams trade
So, should the Packers trade for Adams? Well, that depends on whether or not they think any of the players on their roster have real WR1 upside in the relatively near future.
If so, then the Packers should line up the assets needed to get the deal done, giving the Raiders Watson and a second-round pick to really grease the wheels and get the proverbial ball into the end zone. Otherwise? Well, let’s hope they’re right, as if they’re not, then boy will it stink to see Adams shine in another uniform for years to come.
