By: Jake Rajala

The Las Vegas Raiders questionably drafted Henry Ruggs in the first round of the 2020 draft. Head coach Jon Gruden wanted a wideout that could stretch the field, capitalize off the play action, and ultimately help the Raiders offense go point for point with the likes of MVP Patrick Mahomes. 

It’s safe to say that Ruggs did not live up to expectations in his rookie year. The former Alabama WR recorded a mere 452 yards and two touchdowns. He was outperformed largely by fellow WRs in his draft class like Ceedee Lamb, Justin Jefferson, Brandon Aiyuk, Michael Pittman, and the list goes on. 

Headed into the 2021 season, Gruden rightfully wanted to bring in more juice at the WR spot. To help utilize Carr’s arm strength and talent, the former Super Bowl-winning coach signed veteran deep threat John Brown. Brown has played seven seasons in the league (AZ, BUFF) and he just recorded an impressive 1,000-yard season in 2019. I firmly believe the Raiders WR will bring an immediate boost to LV’s orchestra and that he truly was one of the best contracts in the whole NFL. 

Here is why Brown will have a superb outing for his new QB in the Death Star.

• Derek Carr passes the deep ball A LOT

Henry Ruggs didn’t just disappoint last season, but he failed to be a factor with a QB that threw the ball 20+ yards more than he has in four seasons. Yes, Ruggs was far from average with his efficiency in catching the deep bombs. Per PFF, he was 69th in the rate of catchable deep passes beyond 20 yards. 

The veteran John Brown will be the absolute go-to target now that the veteran Nelson Agholor is out of the picture. Not only does Carr share the same jersey number as Agholor, but Carr said he reminds him of Agholor as a player. He’s stated that he loves the newly acquired WR. Agholor found quality production with the Raiders QB, despite having marginal expectations coming into Las Vegas. Brown has a much better resume than Nelson coming into the Raiders huddle and I expect him to post at least similar highs as Nelson Agholor did in his Raider tenure. 

Do not let the first-round mark on Ruggs name and his top play of the 2020 season where former Jets DC Gregg Williams sent an all-out blitz in a hail mary situation, which allowed Ruggs to beat a below-average CB over the top with no safety help let you believe he should be more reliable than John “smoke” Brown in 2021. 

• Brown is still has a lot of talent left in the tank

NFL WRs that specialize in torching defenses usually enjoy a longer-lasting NFL career. Ted Ginn, who has been an underrated speed demon at WR for over a decade, just announced his retirement at the age of 36. The well-known deep threat Desean Jackson is still going strong at age 34 and he enjoyed 734 yards in 12 games at age 31 (same as Brown). These are unique players, but they share a common strength of skill. It’s clear that Brown, who enjoyed a “career season” in 2019, will show that he’s still in his prime when the 2021 season comes around the corner.

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By: Corey Hietpas

Davante Adams has been one of the best WRs in the league for the past three years now. He’s a target monster and a dangerous red-zone weapon. While the Packers would love to extend Adams as he’s only under contract through 2021, he mentioned on the Colin Cowherd show that if Aaron Rodgers were no longer on the Green Bay Packers that he would have to strongly consider his future. With Rodgers’ future uncertain, it seems that Adams’ future is uncertain. So, let’s consider a future where Rodgers is traded away. Which teams outside of the Packers would be the best fit for Adams? I think the Las Vegas Raiders would be a great fit for Adams, below are a few reasons why. 

Davante Adams has a strong relationship with the Raiders’ starting QB.

To start, this needs to be split into two scenarios. Scenario one: Aaron Rodgers stays with the Packers or is traded anywhere besides to the Raiders. In this scenario, Adams has a very strong relationship with his new QB, Derek Carr. Adams and Carr played at Fresno State together for two years and developed a great relationship while there. This relationship exists today and would be a large factor in this scenario. It was rumored that Carr was even attempting to recruit Adams to the Raiders before he signed his last extension. Scenario two: Aaron Rodgers is traded to the Raiders for Derek Carr plus other assets. This is a realistic outcome as Rodgers listed the Raiders as one of his few desired trade locations. The relationship and connection that Rodgers and Adams have is special and doesn’t need much elaboration from me. Adams has said that he wants to continue playing with Rodgers, and I believe he would strongly consider signing with the Raiders if Rodgers ends up there. 

The Raiders badly need a WR1.

Amari Cooper was the last true WR1 that the Raiders have had, and he hasn’t been with them since 2018. Darren Waller has filled in admirably, but he is a TE. He’s one of the best TEs in the league, but he’s still a TE. The Raiders are sorely in need of an outside threat who can thrive while facing the competitor’s top CB. It’s fair to say that Adams is one of the few receivers who can seemingly get open at will, no matter the opposing defender. Adding Adams to an already effective offense would make them, at the worst, a top ten offense in the league.

Davante Adams wants to win, and the Raiders are close to being able to provide that.

The Raiders have not been anything special the last few years. They only won 7 games in 2019 and 8 games in 2020, but they are a young and improving roster. The offense had two rookie WRs taking a lot of snaps and the front office has been filling major holes on the defensive side over the last two years. Even without Davante Adams, it appears that the Raiders are a team that is close to competing for a Wild Card playoff spot. Now add Adams to the roster, and you’re looking at a dangerous offense and a legit contender.

A lot is up in the air with Davante Adams at this point, but the Aarong Rodgers saga should be coming to a head soon. With that sorted out, we’ll have a clearer picture of the realistic outcomes for Adams. If it played out with Adams joining the Raiders, they would be a team to watch in the AFC.

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