Another day, another absolute blockbuster deal by the AFC West team. On Thursday, the Raiders landed Davante Adams. Friday? Who knows.
There are only two days left before the start of the 2022 NFL league year. This arms race is just getting started. This division is no joke. There’s a lot to digest here, including eliminating one of the toughest quarterback/receiver combinations in NFL history, the Packers franchise that seems to be constantly in between due to their past infractions with Aaron Rodgers, and what could be one of the The league’s most prolific passing games are in Las Vegas, where new head coach Josh McDaniels has a plethora of noteworthy weapons.
Over the course of a week or so, the AFC welcomed a host of franchise-changing players through trades. First Hall of Fame quarterback to be voted in the making (Russell Wilson), Hall of Famer pass rusher (Khalil Mak), and now the highest paid wide receiver in NFL history at Adams. Not to mention the Chargers kept Mike Williams and expanded him, added the best corner available in free agency (JC Jackson), and the Raiders signed Chandler Jones, who leads the league in sacks. since joining the NFL, and the Broncos. grabbing pass rusher Randy Gregory. And yes, the Chiefs weren’t all that active, but they kept Pro Bowl left tackle Orlando Brown as a franchise, which was necessary.
There is a lot to unpack here. Here are some of my initial thoughts:
- If the Packers hadn’t just jumped into a secret trade fight to get Jordan Love’s QB two years ago, they probably would have reached at least one Super Bowl, they’d have avoided a showdown with Rodgers, they’d probably have kept him cheaper. and they might be fine. insurance on the WR position, instead of being locked out now, to probably use multiple picks on pass catchers. Good thing they have a strong receiver pull.
- The Raiders may have the best group of masters in the NFL. Derek Carr is still the fourth best QB in the division, but there’s nothing to be ashamed of and he now has the ability to splatter the ball all over the place. Teams can’t help but think they should bring Adams and tight end monster Darren Waller together. Hunter Renfroe is a savvy slot machine guy who will find his place in every sense. Brian Edwards has made great progress in the past year and is a good target. Running back Josh Jacobs can help you win the passing game too. Don’t be surprised if the Raiders add another offensive veteran. They could use help there. If you can quickly find money for McDaniels as Coach of the Year, I can bet a few bucks.
- After all the trouble the Raiders had in picking the best players in the draft (as well as the pathetic experiment with Antonio Brown), and given that Mark Davis was Al Davis’ son, you’d better believe the Raiders management considered a first-round trade. . and the second round as a deal for Adams. They need a reliable deep threat and now they have the best shield in the game. The fact that he played varsity ball with Carr all the better.
- You’ve heard a lot about how passionately and willingly the Packers gave Adams everything he wanted. Do not buy. Rogers threatening to resign every nine months makes it hard to stick to this team if you’re Adams and this is your last big piece of the apple. The Packers weren’t going to pay about $80 million a year to two players. If it wasn’t for all the worries and fights with Rodgers in recent years, they might have renewed Adams’ contract before the limit went up again. But the timing for this was not optimal for Green Bay.
- Hmm, I’m guessing Adams is among the many who doubt Love was ever anything close to what the Packers should have thought he was when they put Rogers on time by taking him in the first round. And Adams has to give credit to Christian Kirk for surviving until the Jaguars shelled so much money in front of a free agent wide receiver that he couldn’t say no.
- If I’m Stephon Diggs, who’s in line for a substantial renewal with the Bills, I’m doing this wheel. Adams resets the receiver market at the right time for him.
- The Packers would do the right thing if they kept Marquez Valdez-Scantling, and I would be very surprised if Cole Beasley, Jarvis Landry, Juju Smith-Shuster or Jamison Crowder didn’t take over for the Packers next season.
- Expect Rodgers to make a significant contribution to the team’s direction of which receivers the Packers will draft. He’s got Randall Cobb back in the building, he’s being listened to by Guty And The Gang, and he won’t be shy about speaking his mind, trying to fill that huge void in the receiver.
- Green Bay’s chances of this extended window with Rodgers paying off in the only meaningful way it could – the Lombardi trophy – were already getting worse every year as this roster wasn’t as strong on paper as it was in, say, 2020. year. the fields of this development are even smaller. But what this deal is really doing is starting to give them some of the draft capital it will take to dig out of this when this Rogers chapter really closes.