Potential landing spot for Packers WR Davante Adams
The future for Packers wide receiver Davante Adams is exceedingly mysterious. Adams might lose his MVP quarterback Aaron Rodgers, so it could be very possible that he decides to follow his three-time MVP QB out the door.
Rodgers has stated that retiring is an option, but it’s also a possibility that he decides to leave Green Bay and play for a different team. A-Rod was on the verge of cutting off his relationship with the Pack prior to the 2021 season, but he infamously posted a picture of “Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen”, which referenced his main inspiration to play another season with Adams. There’s no surprise that Adams garners so much love from Rodgers. Here is how productive Tae has been in the past few years:
- 1,553 receving yards in 2021 (career high)
- All Pro in 2020
- All Pro in 2021
- 18 receving touchdowns in 2020 (career high)
- 123 receptions in 2021
The Packers starting QB and his go-to WR clearly have an unshakable bond and Adams is arguably the main fuel for Rodgers at this stage in his career. If Rodgers leaves for a different team, there would be a fine chance that Adams follows Rodgers to Rodgers’s new squad.
So, what exactly is the hierarchy of potential destinations for the Packers WR that many analysts outline as the NFL’s top WR? Well, I’m going to untwine several teams that are the best spot for his services.
- Denver Broncos
The Denver Broncos announced who their next head coach is and it is none other than Nathaniel Hackett. The new man in charge Hackett, who might be a stunt double for Bruce Willis, was the Packers Offensive Coordinator from 2019 until 2021.
If Rodgers exits Wisconsin, I wholeheartedly believe the Broncos are the best destination for the “Joe cool” QB. Denver had the second-ranked defense in PPG allowed last season, so they clearly field a championship defense to complement the 38-year-old QB. They don’t have the future Hall of Famer Von Miller anymore, but profiles like Justin Simmons, Bradley Chubb, Pat Surtain, Ronald Darby, and Kyle Fuller are on defense. It’s been widely enunciated that the Broncos have “the best secondary in the NFL”.
If Rodgers keeps his same feelings of Adams as the same as last offseason, I fully expect Hackett to be the QB-WR combo in Denver. The Broncos have a modest trio of WR talent in Courtland Sutton, Jerry Jeudy, and Tim Patrick, but none of their wide receivers are elite. There isn’t only an emotional aspect of the Broncos wanting Tae, but they could use a top-notch WR to catch passes from Rodgers in Denver.
If Tae is disgruntled and picky about wanting to go to Denver, the Broncos could cough up less value than what other teams would have to give for the Packers WR. Still, Hackett and John Elway will need to be creative to get Adams — so, it may be ideal if they send a WR like Jeudy or QB Drew Lock in return to the Pack.
2. New York Jets
The Broncos appear to be a very logical and poetic landing spot, but the New York Jets could be the most aggressive team to acquire Tae’s lucrative abilities. The Packers may also be tempted to send Adams to Jets, who are in the AFC and at the bottom of the AFC record-wise.
The Jets passing offense was a blunder in 2021. Robert Saleh’s passing offense was 27th in passing touchdowns and their QB play was scarier than “Don’t Breath 2”. The 2021 rookie Zach Wilson threw nine touchdowns, 11 interceptions, and went 3-10 as a starter.
The WR talent needs a major fix-up. Denzel Mims was one of the Jets best players in 2020, but he shockingly fell off a cliff in 2021. The 24-year-old caught 8 catches for 133 yards last regular season. Elijah Moore, who was the Jets second-round pick in 2021, led the team in yards (538 yards) and touchdowns (5).
Saleh needs to make some magic happen with the Jets in the brutal AFC East division. The Dolphins were 9-8 and they have recently been acting like they are standing on hot coals. It’s time that Saleh lights a fire under the arses of the 4-13 Jets.
The Jets don’t only have golden tickets with their draft picks, but they also hold the fifth-most cap space in the league. They overpaid for Le’Veon Bell and I could see the Jets luring in Tae at any costs. I would expect Tae to have a better career in the Big Apple than Bell, nonetheless.
3. New Orleans Saints
The New Orleans Saints are a tough team to crack. They lost Drew Brees in the 2021 offseason and they witnessed Sean Payton retire in the 2022 offseason. Many outlets believe the Saints should rebuild given the losses from their old HC-QB combo.
I truly would doubt at the bottom of my heart that the Saints 9-8 Saints from 2021 will throw in the towel in 2022. The Saints claimed a winning record with an improbable situation last season. It’s also important to note that the Saints were “5-2 with Jameis Winston at QB”. Of course, the Saints glimpses of NFC glory faded when Winston went down with a season-ending ACL injury against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Saints were even looking like a competitive team with the dual-threat QB Taysom Hill under center.
The Saints still have a plethora of talent on defense, plus they will be returning a highly motivated weapon on offense in Michael Thomas. Thomas will look to get back in the same huddle with the Top 5 RB Alvin Kamara. The former Offensive Player of The Year in 2019 tweeted that he didn’t have any beef with the Saints and he expressed his gratitude to Sean Payton, as well.
The third-place NFC squad is also a hot contestant to land the free spirited Aaron Rodgers. They were rumored to land Rodgers last offseason and Saints Pro Bowl defensive end Cameron Jordan recently lobbied for A-Rod on ESPN in 2022. If Rodgers went to the Saints, he could attract Tae, and then Rodgers would arguably have the best WR duo in NFL history (Thomas + Adams). The Saints also carry a Top 5 defense and they really need to capitalize off the veteran talent they have with Cameron Jordan, Demario Davis, Kwon Alexander, and Malcolm Jenkins soon. Dennis Allen, who has been the dominant defensive coordinator, could be leading the defense from the head coaching spot in 2022.
It would be very hard for the cap-strapped Saints to obtain Rodgers and Adams both. Yet, the Saints are the type of locker room that may be willing to find a way to open up money for Rodgers and Adams if both profiles have a strong interest in joining them.
4. Las Vegas Raiders
The Las Vegas Raiders have been haunted by mediocre starters at their WR position for many years. In 2021, LV was left wishing the former Philadelphia Eagles franchise legend Desean Jackson could resurrect their WR group in early November. Jackson made flash contributions, but they need a quality long-term WR added to the Sin City. It’s clear that the Raiders need a lethal threat across from Hunter Renfrow, who surprisingly recorded 1,038 yards in 2021.
Derek Carr is a fighter and he’s ascending at this stage in his career. He’s coming off a season, where he threw a career-high 4,804 yards. His touchdown count was less impressive with 23 touchdowns. There’s a lot of meat left on the bone for Carr clearly. Carr hasn’t played with an elite WR in his career and they made sure to pardon the only elite wideout he had in Amari Cooper.
There is no secret that Carr and Tae hold a strong connection, as they were former Fresno teammates/brothers. Adams has stated, “that it would be a dream to play with Carr”. There has been intense love for each other to reunite and 2022 could finally be the offseason where it comes to fruition.
The Raiders really need to make a splash addition in a division where the Chargers and Broncos are ascending. Of course, the Kansas City Chiefs are getting ready to compete for another Super Bowl appearance. If Carr has Darren Waller, Hunter Renfrow, Bryan Edwards, Josh Jacobs, and Davante Adams on the same field next season, the Raiders could really compete for the AFC West crown in 2022.
5. New England Patriots
Bill Belichick is the ultimate WR whisperer and he likes to make big deals for wide receivers. The Patriots head coach has acquired the talented and unique personas of Randy Moss, Antonio Brown, and Josh Gordan. He should pull some magic and reel in another big name wideout at this pivotal time for the young Mac Jones.
Jones was a quality rookie QB in the AFC and that was evident with his 3,801 yards, 22 touchdowns, and a 10-7 record. The Pats were 14th in passing yards per game and seventh in points per game last season. It was clearly improvement from the 2020 season with Cam Newton, but they are still trying to return to the days of displaying an elite passing game. Mac may not be Tom Brady, but he can be a Top 8 QB in this league.
The Pats fell short in the playoffs against their divisional rival in the Buffalo Bills. It’s clear they need more firepower in the AFC and in their own division. The Bills scored a touchdown on their first five possessions against the Patriots in their wildcard showdown. It was clear the Pats weren’t keeping pace with Allen, as they lost 47-17.
Honorable mentions:
Philadelphia Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles have former Heisman winner Devonta Smith, who ousted 915 yards and 5 touchdowns, but they are aching for a dominant WR opposite Smith. The Jalen Reagor experiment is clearing a failure, so it would be wise for Nick Sirianni to add reinforcements at the position. The legendary Eagles TE Zach Ertz is also in a Cardinals uniform, so it’s obvious their offense could use a jolt as a whole. Jalen Hurts has clearly shown that he’s their franchise QB in 2021, so now it’s time for Sirianni to treat him with a fine present in Adams.
Baltimore Ravens
The Baltimore Ravens have Hollywood brown at WR and the elite Mark Andrews at TE, but it clearly isn’t enough to help Lamar Jackson look like an MVP-caliber QB. The Ravens were a mediocre 13th in passing yards per game, which was behind the Minnesota Vikings and San Francisco 49ers. The Ravens were even worse in the passing touchdown category, as they were 24th in passing touchdowns per game.
Jackson is slowly fading away from the conversation of the cream of the crop singal-callers. The Ravens added Sammy Watkins, but the former Clemson star is a shell of his past self. Watkins had a mere 394 yards and one touchdown a season ago. Adams can be the juice that Jackson needs as a QB and the offense can actually carry the team on its shoulders with Adams in the fold. The Ravens can’t turn the clock back to the days of Joe Flacco struggling to put up big passing numbers.
Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys and Jerry Jones could get really creative this offseason and wind up cutties ties with Michael Gallup and Amari Cooper. The Boys could make a strategic decision by opting to let go of the top two Dallas wideouts and sign the excellent profile in Davante Adams. It would have to be seen widespread that if Dak had Adams joining Ceedee Lamb and Zeke Elliot, that he would be the clear MVP favorite in 2022. The Cowboys had the number one passing offense in 2021, but they could make a bid to upset the yards and points the Peyton Manning led Broncos offense and Patrick Mahomes led Kansas City Chiefs yielded. Adams would instantly be the best Cowboys wideout since Dez Bryant.
