Has Davante Adams Fate With Raiders Already Determined?
With Reports Suggesting The Raiders Will Have A Ground And Pound Offense Should They Pay a Receiver Almost $30 Million A Year?
Before we start the article, I want to state two things. Firstly, Davante Adams is my favorite player right now, and I want nothing more than for him to retire as a Raider. I remember when he was traded to the Raiders, I almost swerved and hit oncoming traffic because I was celebrating so much! Please don't think I want him off the team because that is the furthest from the truth.
Secondly, I'm basing this article on a report from an insider with the Raiders, and this is all speculation. The article I read was based on a tweet from another Raiders insider Raiders Beat, and radio personality, and Raiders radio host JT The Brick.
Based on this report, I would have to agree with both media outlets mentioned in the article regarding the philosophy of the offense for the upcoming season. I believe fans and the media started to feel this way based on the signing of Christian Wilkins to a massive 4-year contract at the beginning of free agency, as reported by NFL Network's Ian Rapoport.
Bringing in Wilkins is a sign that the Raiders are trying to build a top 5 defense, and based on their performance at the end of the year, I'm not surprised. This defense does have a chance to be special; it all starts with the defensive line. Pressure is going to be key for what the Raiders want to do on defense and to be successful at it as well. Signing Wilkins also shows what most thought going into this offseason: the Raiders are going to improve their defense because they now have a defensive-minded coach.
So, what does this mean for the offense? Who is going to play QB? Can that QB get Davante Adams the ball enough to keep him happy? Because we all know wide receivers have a tendency of being divas and sometimes think about themselves over the team. I'm not saying Adams is a diva, but he did have some moments last year that gave fans pause. Personally, I think it's his passion to win games more than anything. And that's all we want as a fan base. We want the Raiders to be a winning franchise year in and year out.
So, with the focus on the defense and supposedly a ground-and-pound style offense going forward, where does this leave the best wide receiver in the world? Unfortunately, the writing is already on the wall in my opinion, and if the team doesn't show any improvement on the offensive side of the ball, then Telesco and Pierce are going to have to make an unpopular decision. You cannot pay one player almost $30 million if you're going to overhaul your offense, and that's what I believe the front office is trying to do.
Both Gardner Minshew and Aidan O'Connell are vying for the starting job, with some speculating that the team will draft a QB in the first round. Davante Adams is in a tough spot, dealing with a veteran who has played for 3 teams already and a second-year player with mobility issues. Will he want to leave before the Raiders decide to act? I'm undecided on that, but I truly hope it never comes to that.
The move will be made next year and may be unpopular with Raider Nation. However, from a business standpoint, it makes sense. If you're going to rely mainly on the run, you can get a receiver three times cheaper to do the same thing that Adams could do. In a ground-and-pound type offense, a flashy receiver is not needed; it's actually the complete opposite.
You need a reliable receiver who can make a clutch catch on 3rd down. Honestly, the team already has a guy who could do that on their roster; his name is Jakobi Meyers. It would be big shoes to fill, but if he can improve on last year with some good QB play, his numbers could be off the charts.
At the end of the day, let's hope this is never an issue, and the team kicks ass on both sides of the ball, and nothing needs to be changed. And who knows, maybe Davante Adams is willing to take a pay cut to stay with the team, and that's not out of the realm if the team is winning games.
And like I said before, I'm basing this all on speculation that the offense is going to change its philosophy from the McDaniels era and be a run-first type of offense. And sometimes when you change something up and it doesn't work, people start losing jobs, and here comes another rebuild. And who is affected the most by a rebuild? The highest-paid players, and as of right now, Davante Adams is the highest-paid player.
As I mentioned before, it would be a dream scenario for the team to be successful and to be able to keep the core group of players together. Let's hope that happens and this article means nothing. I'm just trying to soften the blow before news starts swirling around if the team is not doing well. I know our fan base is well-educated and has all thought about this once or twice a day, probably. I'm writing this article so that you know you're not alone because we are all thinking it, Raider Nation!
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