A year and a half after rejecting the Packers‘ contract offers to facilitate a trade to the Raiders, wide receiver Davante Adams recently admitted to ESPN that his experience in Las Vegas is “not what I wanted,” suggesting the team has lacked a Super Bowl formula.
A little over a week after making those comments, Adams is now voicing his frustration with his lack of involvement in the offense. The perennial All-Pro has just six catches on nine targets over the past two games, which were won by Las Vegas.
“I’m sure people are thinking, ‘They won the game, why is there an issue?’ I mean, you see why it’s an issue,” Adams said, via ESPN. “Y’all should know who I am, know what I’m about at this point … when you’re a player like me, mentally, my benchmark is not wins and losses — it’s greatness. So when I go out there, I expect to be able to have that ability to put that on tape and have an influence on the game. That’s my purpose for being here. I’m not here just to hang out; I came here to win and to do it the right way.”
Adams, who signed a five-year, $140 million deal with the Raiders in 2022, hasn’t requested a move out of town. And he remains committed to working toward a title run with Las Vegas, for now. But it’s clear he wants to have a bigger role in the offense.
“So if it don’t look like it’s supposed to look, then I’m going to be frustrated if I’m not a part of that plan,” Adams said. “Because I have the opportunity to go and change that and make it look like a much better picture out there. And if that doesn’t happen, then I’m going to be frustrated. If Jakobi [Meyers] goes out and has a monster game or if the offense is scoring every five plays, like our first drive on the Bills, then it is what it is.
“It’s not about me, but I’m one of the bigger pieces as to why this offense is going to go. And if I’m not getting it, then that’s obviously not according to plan.”
Adams said that his lingering shoulder injury contributed to his lack of involvement during the Raiders’ win over his former team, the Green Bay Packers, back in Week 5. But Adams’ isn’t using his injury to justify being targeted just five times in last week’s win over the Patriots.
Raiders coach Josh McDaniels showered Adams with praise when asked about his wideout’s comments and his lack of involvement in the offense. But while McDaniels said a lot of nice things about Adams, he didn’t say anything about getting his best offensive player the ball more.
“It definitely makes you feel better that other people see it the same way as you, but that don’t fix it,” Adams said when asked about McDaniels’ praise. “You’ve still got to do something about it as a whole. Not [McDaniels], but as a whole. We’ve still got to find a way to get it going, but obviously, it makes me feel a little better knowing that I’m not crazy, that people are thinking the same way.”
Given his continued frustration, Adams’ name should be on any list of players who could be traded by the Oct. 31 deadline. The Jets, who employ Adams’ former teammate Aaron Rodgers and who recently traded wideout Mecole Hardman, could be in the running to land Adams if Las Vegas decides to go in that direction.
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Author: Bryan DeArdo
October 19, 2023 | 12:45 pm
