Davante Adams reveals he doesn't see eye-to-eye with Raiders front office
This is not what Davante Adams signed up for. To be quite frank, the biggest thing he did sign up for, is no longer on the team. And so, that can be tough to deal with. For Adams, he is about to play his first season with a new quarterback since his rookie year when […]
This is not what Davante Adams signed up for. To be quite frank, the biggest thing he did sign up for, is no longer on the team. And so, that can be tough to deal with. For Adams, he is about to play his first season with a new quarterback since his rookie year when he was introduced to Aaron Rodgers.
Derek Carr was a guy that he essentially grew up with and was a huge reason he wanted to come to Las Vegas. So for that to last just one season, kind of sucks for Adams, you would assume. Now it's on to Jimmy Garoppolo, a guy who has taken his team to a Super Bowl before. Only, there is one problem. He isn't Derek Carr, and Adams didn't initially agree with what the Raiders did.
“[The front office] think this is the best bet for us right now to put us in a position to be urgent,” he said. “We don’t see eye-to-eye on what we think is best for us right now. I’m going to have to buy into this and try to be as optimistic as possible. It’s not what I expected to happen, but it’s something that’s the reality now.”
His saying they don't see eye-to-eye doesn't mean he is disgruntled, because frankly, we don't know how he feels. He could be disgruntled and want out. Or, he could still be happy where he is. Everything he is saying says he wants to be a Raider, which is all anyone in the organization wants, even if the quarterback isn't Derek Carr.
That's nothing against Garoppolo because in this system I think he can be good. He learned this system when he first came into the league with the New England Patriots. Now he will be running this system as the guy.
Sure, he isn't Carr, but Garoppolo offers some things the Raiders like. And the way Adams feels towards the franchise for the time being, has nothing to do with the way he feels about his new QB.
“He’s a really cool dude, talking to him. I really haven’t been around him enough to truly know what type of leader he is,” Adams said. “I’ve only heard good things from his teammates, though, so that’s a good thing because it’s guys that I know wouldn’t mess around with stuff like that.”
And like we said earlier, the Raiders aren't just doing this to make Adams upset, they truly believe that Garoppolo can be a guy that gets them to where they need to be, or they wouldn't have paid him so much money.
Garoppolo has a style that fits well with the offense, and he knows the offense, which is the biggest part. In a way, last year was the trial run for the McDaniels offensive system.
Carr didn't know the system, and they felt he wasn't going to be able to help them win if he did learn it. Garoppolo already knows it before playing a single snap. They could do some big things in this offense, and Adams knows that.
“It all depends on the style of ball that we play,” Adams started. “If we play a certain brand of ball, I can get [Garoppolo] to conform to whatever. But if we use him a certain type of way, then it’s going to make it tough for us to maximize who we should be this year.”
The style of ball that they play won't change the way Adams plays. He is going to get his no matter what, and we saw that last year. Adams made first-team All-Pro, but this one was different because it wasn't with Aaron Rodgers, the elite quarterback throwing him the ball.
He ended his first season in Las Vegas as an All-Pro and a Pro Bowler. He finished with over 1,500 receiving yards and 14 receiving touchdowns, the second most of his career. All of that was in a new system, with a quarterback he hadn't played with in almost a decade. Not to mention, the Raiders also had a guy who was a bell cow running back in Josh Jacobs.
But none of those accolades matter. That isn't why he plays the game, and I think you know where I'm going with this.
“My goal is to win a Super Bowl with this team," Adams explained. "And that’s why I didn’t come here to just be cute with Derek [Carr]. It is to really try and have a shot and change this organization.”
Could this team win a Super Bowl? Sure, but I wouldn't bank on it happening this year but don't tell him that. Even with the change that is happening at his still-fresh, new job, Adams has faith that he can get a ring.
He didn't win one in Green Bay, as he came in a few years after their Super Bowl win, but they did come close several times. After losing to San Francisco several times, putting up over 8,000 receiving yards and 73 receiving touchdowns in green and yellow, it was time for something new.
"There is no regret," Adams said about moving on. "To put in almost a decade of work in Green Bay … I gave that place everything I had. I value and appreciate my time there. And I loved it. To go to another team or whatever and just chase money, that wasn’t my goal. It wasn’t just to go get the biggest bag. It was about going somewhere where I felt like I could really enjoy the end of my career and go somewhere that my family would enjoy.”
But, and I continue to harp on this, even after the moves the Raiders made, Adams is still going to be him. No Rodgers, doesn't matter. No Carr, doesn't matter. Last year really showed that he can do what he does no matter who the quarterback is. Why is that? Well, Adams broke it down pretty perfectly.
“All I need is me.”
