The Green Bay Packers aren’t necessarily at the top of the list of contenders to trade for disgruntled Las Vegas Raiders wide receiver Davante Adams, but they do belong in the conversation.
ESPN’s Bill Barnwell published a piece on Tuesday, October 1, examining the handful of suitable suitors for Adams after both the three-time All-Pro wideout and his current team made it clear that they are ready to move on.
“You could understand the sentiment in wanting to bring back a franchise favorite given the youthfulness of Green Bay’s receiving corps and the injuries that have repeatedly befallen Christian Watson, with the most recent issue being a high-ankle sprain,” Barnwell wrote. “Re-acquiring Adams would take some of the load off the remaining receivers and provide the wide receivers room with a model from which to base their own growth.”
Davante Adams Has Good Reason to Desire Return to Packers
GettyLas Vegas Raiders wide receiver Davante Adams.
The mentor angle is clear enough, as is the perspective from the fans who saw their team achieve tremendous success by way of the connection between Adams and his former quarterback Aaron Rodgers.
Of course, Rodgers is now gone — starting under center for the New York Jets. But a healthy Jordan Love is probably a superior player to the one Adams had in Rodgers at the end of his run in Green Bay. And in either case, Love is certainly the better quarterback in 2024 and will likely remain such forever on, as Rodgers approaches 41 years old and retirement likely sooner than later.
That the Packers don’t have a clear No. 1 wideout is also a reason that a deal for Adams and the remaining three years on his $140 million contract could work. However, Barnwell was more concerned Tuesday about the reasons that a deal bringing Adams back to Green Bay might not make sense.
Packers May Prefer to Remain Youthful in Wide Receiver Room
GettyLas Vegas Raiders wide receiver Davante Adams.
The Packers numbered among Barnwell’s list but weren’t atop it, primarily because of the players already in the receiver room as well as the general offensive philosophy the team has assumed with regards to its personnel.
“The Packers have deliberately chosen to go younger across the board and field the youngest team in football,” Barnwell wrote. “Like the [Kansas City] Chiefs, I believe they see the variety of options they present Jordan Love in lieu of a top wide receiver as a strength of their roster. And with so much young talent, one of Watson, Jayden Reed, Romeo Doubs and Dontayvion Wicks is likely to emerge as a legitimate top wideout before the end of the season. I wouldn’t count on this one happening.”
While that logic is sound enough on its face, the notion that not having a truly elite playmaker to target in crucial situations is somehow an advantage strains credulity.
If Adams was the type of player to complain about usage or step on the playing time/production of younger talents then Barnwell’s argument on behalf of the Packers staying young might make more sense.
But Watson is frequently hurt. He missed 11 of 34 regular-season games over the past two seasons and is on track to miss more starting Week 5.
Packers Face Potentially Hard Call on Christian Watson in Coming Year
GettyGreen Bay Packers wide receiver Christian Watson.
Green Bay may well face a tough decision on Watson next offseason, as he enters the final year of his rookie contract. An explosive playmaker, Watson can probably command serious money on the open market, but whether the Packers can justify giving it to him after all of his missed time is another story.
In that context, bringing Adams back now makes the offense better and replaces what the team will lose without Watson (plus probably a whole lot more). That might mean a player like Wicks loses some targets, particularly when Watson returns. However, that wouldn’t be the end of the world, as Wicks has caught just 8 passes for 104 yards on 22 targets this season.
Adams’ presence might also give Green Bay the freedom to turn players like Watson, and potentially Wicks, into trade chips this year or the next and build up draft assets to address other roster weaknesses.
Meanwhile, the trio of Adams, Reed and Doubs as targets for Love would make for a formidable passing attack going forward.