Making sense of Raiders trading for WR Davante Adams
The Las Vegas Raiders shook the NFL world today by striking a trade for disgruntled Green Bay Packers WR Davante Adams.
Who is Davante Adams
2014 2nd-round pick (No. 53)
2x 1st-team All-Pro (2020 & 2021)
2020 NFL touchdowns leader (18)
61% 1st-down catch rate
669 catches, 8,121 receiving yards, 73 touchdowns
Why the move was made
No question the Raiders needed to revamp their receivers unit while watching players like WR Zay Jones leave via free agency and WR Henry Ruggs being released for off-field misconduct.
Outside of third-year veteran WR Hunter Renfrow and 2020 Pro Bowl TE Darren Waller, the Raiders don’t have anything else worth noting. That was until Adams came into the picture.
New OC Mick Lombardi shed some light on what he looked for in his receivers during his opening presser:
“The first thing we talk about in terms of receiver play is winning the line of scrimmage.
The second part is the stem of the route. Understanding how the coverage is playing within the stem of your route, maintaining leverage on your stem of the route.
The third phase of the route, in making a good receiver on the perimeter is the top of the route.”
Well, it’s safe to say Adams has all those boxes checked. He’s a very savvy route-runner, who can sell a route at any point in the stem.
If you try to play bump-and-run in a Cover-1 or Cover-2, Adams can easily gain separation off the line of scrimmage.
At 6-1, 212, cornerbacks have to respect his size. His stutter-step/hop inside release will certainly create problems for AFC West defensive backs.
From there, it’s all about stacking. I talked about this with former 49ers OC Curtis Modkins back in 2016, as we talk coaching fundamentals (see video below).
But more than that, it comes down to being smart. A good wide receiver needs to understand defensive concepts, rules of engagement, and where the help is.
A two-deep safety look can be one of a few coverages. A Cover-2, Cover-4, or Cover-5. If you can make the pre-snap route adjustment based on the defense cover shell, you’re ahead of the game.
The tell comes down to safeties, although it’s easier said than done. Defensive coordinators like Chiefs Steve Spagnuolo, Chargers HC Brandon Staley, and Patriots HC Bill Belichick love to disguise their shell pre-to-post snap.
Rolling up the safety or moving down.
However, Adams understands this and is very smart at winning the leverage game. This is what separates Adams from everyone else.
Football is as much mental as it is physical. (see tweet below)
Adams is by far one of the best route runners in the NFL and fits the team’s cultural identity. It was probably a reason why the Raiders didn’t go after players like WR Allen Robinson or WR Odell Beckham Jr.
Are those players a cultural fit? Can they win on all three levels? Let’s be honest, reuniting QB Derek Carr with his WR1 was something I spoke about, but thought it was around a 25% chance of coming to fruition. Here we are today.
Instant Gratification vs Long-term Gains
Raiders Get:
WR Davante Adams
5-year, $142.5M deal ($67.5M guaranteed)
GRADE: A
Packers Get:
2022 1st-round pick (No. 22)
2022 2nd-round pick (No. 53)
GRADE: C
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