there is great connections here for Adams and the Raiders are clearly moving forward with
We haven’t even reached the two-year anniversary of the blockbuster trade that sent superstar wide receiver Davante Adams from the Green Bay Packers to the Las Vegas Raiders.
Still, it seems like there’s been rumors and speculation of Adams’ departure from Las Vegas for most of his tenure with the Raiders.
Yes, the Raiders haven’t had the success in Adams’ two seasons with the team that he expected. Yes, his college teammate and close friend Derek Carr is no longer with the team. Yes, Adams has expressed frustration at times. Yes, there have been reports that his Green Bay quarterback and good friend, Aaron Rodgers, is trying to recruit him to the New York Jets (who reportedly tried to trade for Adams last year) this offseason.
Still, the reality is that the Raiders are making moves that show that Adams is still a big part of what they are doing moving forward.
New full-time Raiders’ head coach Antonio Pierce (who Adams pushed for to be hired) has added two key offensive assistant coaches who have ties to Adams. First, he hired Luke Getsy as offensive coordinator. Getsy and Adams were together in Green Bay for seven seasons and he was Adams’ position coach for two seasons. Adams has publicly said he’s excited about the Getsy hire.
This week, the Raiders added another coach who has history with Adams as they reportedly hired Joe Philbin as a senior offensive coach. Philbin was in Green Bay in 2018 and he finished the season as the team’s interim head coach.
And, of course, Edgar Bennett, who coached Adams in both Green Bay and in Las Vegas, is expected back as well. So, there is great connections here for Adams and the Raiders are clearly moving forward with Adams being part of the grand plan.
Of course, if the 2024 season isn’t a success, Adams, 31, could be a candidate to leave in the 2025 offseason, especially since his contract would make it more feasible.
But, for now, it seems like we can put to rest any talk of Adams being a candidate to leave Las Vegas this offseason. The signs simply point otherwise.
Every week from now until the end of April, we will be performing our own mock drafts to simulate how Green Bay Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst could attack his perceived needs to help augment a roster that reached the divisional round of the NFL playoffs. We used the Pro Football Network Simulator for this mock draft after using the Pro Football Focus simulator last week. Here is how things shook out. ROUND 1, PICK 25: BRIAN THOMAS JR., WR, LSU Yes, the one year you think the Packers do not need a receiver is the year that they pick one in the first round. In this case, the reality was that all of the defensive backs worth taking in the first round were off the board, and the offensive tackle class was a little underwhelming, as well. Perhaps Gutekunst will see a situation like that and take a shot at a luxury pick in the first round. Thomas shares a lot of the same traits as Christian Watson. He’s big, listed at 6-foot-4, and can run. He was a big-play machine for an LSU offense that saw Jayden Daniels win the Heisman Trophy. He has a nose for the end zone, with 24 touchdowns in his collegiate career. One potential criticism about the Packers’ receiver room is they do not have a player who can take the top off an opposing defense when Watson is not in the lineup. BETTING CONTENT Watson is visiting with specialists in hopes of figuring out the hamstring issues that plagued him in 2023, but an insurance policy is never a bad thing. The Packers did not have an insurance policy for Marquez Valdes-Scantling when he was in Green Bay, and the offense was limited as a result. Thomas adds another dangerous player to the offense as the Packers continue to build around Jordan Love. Related: NFL Scouting Combine Preview: Wide Receivers ROUND 2, PICK 41: DARIUS ROBINSON, EDGE, MISSOURI If the Packers loved Lukas Van Ness, they’re likely to love Robinson. Robinson was one of the stars of the Senior Bowl. He measured in at 6-foot-5 and 286 pounds with 34 3/4-inch arms. As a fifth-year senior, Robinson dominated with 8.5 sacks and 14 tackles for losses. According to PFF, Robinson generated 42 pressures. Pass rusher is not looked at as a primary need for Green Bay, but they could certainly use one. Preston Smith will turn 32 in November. Rashan Gary is one of the team’s cornerstone players and Van Ness is a developing player, but Kingsley Enagbare suffered a torn ACL in the playoffs and Brenton Cox as a relative unknown. With the way the Packers have typically liked to rotate their pass rushers, they could use a little more juice. At his size, he should contribute on the edge as well as inside on passing downs. Missouri DL Darius Robinson with a sack vs UGA Xavier Truss (2nd team All SEC)#NFLDraftpic.twitter.com/WDJYMx6jV9 — Matt Owen (@ProfessorO_NFL) February 19, 2024 ROUND 2, PICK 58: EDGERRIN COOPER, LB, TEXAS A&M Speaking of juice in the front seven, Cooper would add some athleticism to the Packers’ linebacker room that must get stronger with the switch to a 4-3 alignment. Quay Walker improved from his rookie season but remains inconsistent. De’Vondre Campbell’s future with the team is up in the air. Isaiah McDuffie has some experience playing for new defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley, but has struggled with injuries whenever he’s seen any extended action. That brings us to Cooper, who has been compared to Walker, the 22nd pick of the 2022 draft and the first linebacker off the board. In this simulation, they did not have to do that to find a similar player, but Cooper would bring more athleticism to a linebacker room that is in need of it. ROUND 3, PICK 88: JAVON BULLARD, S, GEORGIA The safety position is probably the biggest sore spot for Gutekunst at the moment. None of his primary contributors from last season are under contract. Only seventh-round rookie Anthony Johnson saw significant action from the returning group. In 2023, Bullard had two interceptions and five passes defensed. Those two interceptions would have tied for the team lead in Green Bay. According to Pro Football Focus, Bullard allowed a 34.0 passer rating in 2023. It gave him an astonishing 88.4 coverage grade. Plus, he had seven tackles for losses in 2022. Bullard will need to clean up his tackling skills, as those can come and go. He missed seven tackles in his final season for the Bulldogs. ROUND 3, PICK 91: JAYLEN WRIGHT, RB, TENNESSEE The feeling here is Wright is going to be a popular selection for Green Bay in these simulations. He’s a difference-maker in the backfield, and the Packers have a need for one of those. Wright caught 22 of 25 passes a season ago and is lightning fast, so he could inject some much-needed athleticism into Green Bay’s backfield that could lose AJ Dillon this offseason. Combine his speed with his tackle-breaking ability, and Wright is a big play waiting to happen. Tennessee RB Jaylen Wright has the speed needed to make a big play at anytime. Former track and field star in high school. His PR times:
