In one of the biggest trades in recent franchise history, the Green Bay Packers sent two-time All-Pro wide receiver Davante Adams to the Las Vegas Raiders on Thursday night in exchange for first and second-round picks in next month’s draft.
Green Bay had been trying to sign Adams to an extension since last spring, but the two sides couldn’t agree on terms. While general manager Brian Gutekunst was always willing to make the former Fresno State star the highest-paid wide receiver in the NFL, he wasn’t willing to eclipse the $27.25 million per year Arizona is paying DeAndre Hopkins. That’s what Adams and his representatives considered to be the top contract. However, Gutekunst viewed Hopkins’ average as closer to $20 million per year since his deal was actually an extension. Along with most of the rest of the teams in the league, the Packers recognized former Falcon and Titan Julio Jones as the highest-paid receiver at $22 million per year.
Adams grew increasingly frustrated by the lack of progress on a new contract, and his frustration apparently boiled over after the Packers placed the franchise tag on him last week. He vowed not to play on the tag and began letting it be known that he wanted out of Green Bay. His friend and former teammate James Jones hinted at this just hours before the trade.
Now that Adams is gone, Gutekunst will need to completely rebuild the wide receiver room. The only players left on the roster with NFL experience are 32-year-old Randall Cobb, journeyman David Moore, and unproven youngsters Amari Rodgers, Juwann Winfree, Josh Malone, Rico Gafford, and Chris Blair, although restricted free agent Allen Lazard is expected to return. It wouldn’t be a surprise to see some of the $20 million of cap room created by the trade of Adams used to bring back unrestricted free agent Marquez Valdes-Scantling, who averaged over 16 yards on 26 catches last season.
Even with the return of Lazard and possibly Valdes-Scantling, the Packers would still be without anything resembling a true No. 1 wide receiver. That player would have to arrive either in the draft or through a trade because with Allen Robinson no longer available – he signed with the Rams on Thursday morning – there ian’t an elite receiver left in free agency. Cleveland’s Jarvis Landry and Pittsburgh’s JuJu Smith-Schuster are probably the cream of the crop, but they are more No. 2s than No. 1s. The best of the rest are Jones, Miami’s Will Fuller, Buffalo’s Cole Beasley, and the Jets’ Jamison Crowder. The Rams’ Odell Beckham Jr. is another possibility, but a serious knee injury will likely keep him out until at least November.
It’s fair to wonder why the Packers didn’t make this trade earlier. Five days ago, Dallas’ Amari Cooper was available for a late-round pick, and Chicago’s Robinson and Jacksonville’s D.J. Chark had yet to hit the open market. Now, Cooper is in Cleveland, Chalk is in Detroit, Robinson, as mentioned earlier is in Los Angeles, and Gutekunst, well, he’s in a bit of a pickel.
Fortunately, next months’ draft is loaded with talented wide receivers. Ohio State’s Garrett Wilson and Chris Olave, Arkansas’ Treylon Burks, Alabama’s Jameson Williams, and USC’s Drake London are all projected to go in the first round. And there’s enough depth at the position to expect numerous future NFL starters to be picked through round four. While the Packers haven’t drafted a wide receiver in the first round since 2002, that’s very likely to change in six weeks.
While I’ve been advocating to trade Adams for months and believe the Packers got tremendous value in return, it’s still hard to feel great about this move for one big reason. Why go “all-in” with quarterback Aaron Rodgers only to send away his favorite target? Gutekunst passed on the opportunity to trade Rodgers to Denver for multiple high draft picks because he wanted to make another couple of runs at the Super Bowl, and those runs would’ve been easier to make with Adams.
Without Adams, Gutekunst will need to have a great next six weeks if the Packers are to have any chance of getting through a very tough NFC next January. He needs to re-sign corner Rasul Douglas and tight end Robert Tonyan, sign or trade for a proven No. 2 wide receiver, and have an outstanding draft. With four picks in the top 59, he should be able to add immediate starters at wide receiver and defensive end, along with key backups at outside linebacker and offensive tackle.
Until last night, there appeared to be only two possible doors for Green Bay to open. Door A was keeping both Rodgers and Adams and going after another Super Bowl, and door B was trading both Rodgers and Adams and beginning a total rebuild. But Gutekunst, along with team president and CEO Mark Murphy, wound up choosing door C. Perhaps it’ll all work out and the Packers will still capture that elusive fifth Lombardi Trophy before Rodgers finally calls it a career, the dead money hits, and hard times inevitably begin, but that seems a little less likely now than it did a mere 12 hours ago.
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Michael,
You know we’re going to be looking for some good, serious analysis of not only the WR class in the draft but analysis of Juju, et. al.! Yeah, kinda bummed about Adams leaving but this will be one of the more intriguing Packer drafts in recent memory. We know that Gutey has done very well in the first two rounds, so to have four picks in the first two rounds will make this draft intriguing.
With the hiring of Bisaccia and the return of Campbell and (presumably, now) Douglas, does this team turn into a strong D, good ST, and a tight, efficient offense where the ball is spread around and the RBs take a lead role?
I really wish more people would leave comments. That’s the whole point of a blog. Plus, I’d like to know what you think.
fwiw, I’ve had occasionally had some technical challenges posting or would have posted more.
I wonder if some of the WRs that signed in recent weeks would have worked in LaFleur’s system. For example, would Amari Cooper have worked in GB? There are also factors such as some WRs are completely different players on grass vs turf.
For whatever reason Gute has preferred tall, long-striding WRs, but is that the right profile? SF seems to hire quicker, faster players and it’s a very similar system.
i explained to a non-football fan that the Packers broke up Batman and Robin.
the narrative seems to be that Davante wanted this breakup.. and he certainly got a very big contract. meanwhile, the Packers got valuable cap space, and two prime picks in this talent-laden 2022 draft. some people reiterate that the Packers were 7-0 without Davante. maybe this trade is what the Packers offense needed to be more dedicated to the run and more balanced. Rodgers, coming off 2 straight MVP seasons, hopefully will look at this situation as another inviting challenge in his career. we know he can spread the ball out.. now, apparently, he will have to diversify his targets, which i think makes the Packers offense harder to defend.
it occurred to me that, if the Packers build toward a top 3 defense, their team could trend toward the New England-style juggernaut model. Rodgers could take on more of the old New England Brady role. necessarily, Brady had Edelman. the Packers do not have an Edelman on their roster. but, maybe the organization can go get a go-to WR to fit that Edelman/Mr. Clutch role while also bolstering the defense? now they have the draft capital and some cap space. today, i am more optimistic about the 2022 Packers than i was before the Davante trade.
I know the author has mentioned Rodger’s love of MVPs over rings a few times. I think it’s fair to wonder if the same is true of the organization. Do they truly want to go all-in for the Lombardi, or are they content to win games, get into the play-offs, and keep butts in the seats (and on the waiting list)? In my mind, the recent moves argue for the latter.
Great article! With juju off the market who do you think the packers should pursue? Maybe a trade would make more sense.
Thanks. Working on something for tomorrow or Sunday.
I don’t understand this loaded NFC narrative. Yea I realize that was not the point of the article. It’s Rams, Bucs, and then maybe Cards, Pack, and Niners in no particular order.
Very few good QBs (Brady, Rodgers) with Stafford and Murray a tier down. Niners have Lance. Ryan is past prime. AFC is stacked. NFC is as weak as I can remember.
I was expecting Watson to go to New Orleans. Still think the NFC is tough. Dallas, Tampa Bay, the Rams, and if Lance is any good, the 49ers are all going to be formidable. And there’s a chance New Orleans, Philly and Arizona could be legit contenders. Not nearly as strong as the AFC, but I see at least 3 or 4 NFC teams that should be at least as good as the Packers.
if Philly has a good draft, i think that they may become the team of the NFC East. the Eagles have three valuable 1st round picks this year, and Jalen Hurts can be average enough to win their division. i don’t see it with the Cowboys.. too many flaws starting with their ownership.
As a fan of this team I’ve been through a great many things. The hiring of Star as coach, drafting and then trading James Lofton, coincidentally, to the Raiders. The trade for DB Mosey Cade, the injury to Sharpe and the summer of Favre. Even with all of this I would have never thought of something like this occuring. I’m disappointed in the actions of the club but also with Adams. I believe Mark Murphy is a joke and I will be happy when he moves on. I’m not a huge fan of Gutey and I often wonder about Laflure. What’s really going on at 1265? This sort of situation is a black eye for the team and something that has got to stop. Or players are never going to want to be a part of our team. They’ll be the place no one wants to go like it was in the 70’s and 80’s. The team has no choice but to sign or trade for a vet receiver who can be counted on to start. MVS can come back but he’s number 3 not 2 or 1. We need to move quickly and get our base reset. Do I trust the organization to do anything? Unfortunately, no I don’t believe that they can be trusted to do much of anything except make a mess of things. Very crazy time’s in Green Bay at the moment and I have no reason to feel otherwise. Hope I’m wrong but I certainly don’t feel positive about it.
They were in a weird spot. Had to be done. But, I had a serious problem with the receiver group WITH Adams on the team, now it’s laughable. Their search for a true #2 was bad enough, now they need that and a #1 at a reasonable cost. If there was a true franchise QB in the draft (maybe there is, I don’t know) I would now be wishing they traded Rodgers as well for the draft capital. Unless they field an elite defense and a VERY creative offense this year, I don’t see how they compete with the current powerhouse teams and their plethora of fast weapons. Makes this feel like doing everything possible to keep Aaron on the squad and GB relevant for one more year, at a terrible price. And nothing more.
Michael, I appreciate you and your work/insight. I have struggled with cancer and seemingly that’s a struggle that isn’t going away. Nevertheless, I am going to try and be more proactive and post more thoughts. Nevertheless, love your work and appreciate your dedication. Take care and enjoy your weekend.
Dale – Take care of yourself. That’s all that matters.
I’m disappointed with Davante’s decision to play in LV, but many posters on various Boards see the compensation of a #1 and #2 as a fair return for a 30 year old player – I guess that I could agree if used wisely in the draft and if another free agent WR is signed. It’s also very important that we signed Campbell, Douglas and Robert T. That may not have been possible if we kept Adams. I like Gutey, other than drafting Love which I said was a mistake from the beginning. The defense is intact other than needing a DL next to Clark and Lowery. The draft should provide the pieces to rebuild the WR room and OL. I’m optimistic about how this turns out – remember this was Davante’s call, not the organization’s decision to get rid of him. It’s going to put more pressure on Rodgers to keep the offense performing but I think that he will have the tools available to do so.