So much has gone on this offseason that the Davante Adams trade to the Las Vegas Raiders feels like it happened last month rather than just 10 days ago. While the rest of the NFL is moving on to the next earth-shattering move that is inevitably on the horizon, the Packers are still reeling from the loss of their All-Pro pass-catching weapon.
“Sometimes you got to make some tough decisions,” head coach Matt LaFleur told NFL Media’s Tom Pelissero at the Annual League Meeting on Sunday. “Certainly appreciate everything Davante brought to our team. I mean, he is the best receiver in the National Football League, so that was a tough one for me personally and for our organization.”
Adams’ relationship with Green Bay dissolved throughout their stalled contract negations that dated back to last summer. Things reached a tipping point when the Packers elected to place the franchise tag on the 29-year-old and then Adams informed the team that he would not play on it in 2022. When he was traded to the Raiders, the club then turned around and gave him a five-year, $141.25 million contract. The Packers were reportedly willing to offer Adams a similar contract, but the receiver ultimately preferred to play elsewhere.
“Well, there really wasn’t anything to talk about,” said LaFleur when asked if there was ever any talk about trying to convince Adams to stay. “I mean, you’re going through a contract negotiation and certainly it was just one of those deals where, like I said, a lot of tough decisions had to be made.”
Please check the opt-in box to acknowledge that you would like to subscribe.
Thanks for signing up!
Keep an eye on your inbox.
Sorry!
There was an error processing your subscription.
In return for Adams, Green Bay received two draft selections, including the No. 22 overall pick in the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft. There, the team could look to begin rebuilding their receiver room as they look to contend with back-to-back MVP Aaron Rodgers.
“We’re going to absolutely have to add some pieces to that room and, you know, we got to construct our offense around what we have,” said LaFleur. “You can’t look back and you gotta move forward.”
Replacing Adams’ production will be no small task for Green Bay. Over the last two seasons, Adams saw 318 targets, averaged over 1,400 yards a year, and has 29 total touchdowns.
