This post is part nine of a series counting down the 10 most important Las Vegas Raiders players under contract for next season (not including Derek Carr). Guys set to be free agents (Josh Jacobs, Jarrett Stidham, etc.) aren’t included here. Click here for Part One, Part Two, Part Three, Part Four, Part Five, Part Six, Part Seven and Part Eight of this series.
No. 2: Davante Adams
It was a major toss-up between the top two guys on this list — Adams and Maxx Crosby — but at the end of the day, it was Crosby who is going to come out on top for me. The problem with simple lists like this one, however, is that it’s hard to explain where gaps or tiers in the list exist.
For me, Adams and Crosby are nearly even in terms of importance — with a massive gap between Adams and Darren Waller (who was No. 3 on the list). I’d put Waller, Kolton Miller, Hunter Renfrow and Nate Hobbs in their own closely bunched tier, followed by a drop to Daniel Carlson and Chandler Jones, followed by one more drop to Divine Deablo and Dylan Parham.
But back to Adams — a guy who has a serious case for being the best receiver in football, and one that I think got even stronger with his continued dominance in a new spot and with a new QB. We know the story: Adams and quarterback Derek Carr were great friends, college teammates, etc. — and we also know how it ended: with Carr sent packing two games before the season ended.
Despite all that, Adams was a monster in his first season in Silver and Black — even if there were a couple bumps along the way. While his 100 catches were the fourth-most he has had in his career, his 1,516 yards and 14 touchdowns were both the second best tallies in nine NFL seasons.
And yet…it still felt like there was more out there to be had. Despite the impressive big-picture numbers, Adams also had weeks and stretches where he disappeared. While he had eight games with 7+ catches, he also had five games with three or fewer — a number that’s borderline unacceptable for someone of Adams’ caliber.
Was it his fault? Carr’s? McDaniels’? That’s the tricky part to figure out — and something McDaniels will probably spend lots of time this spring trying to figure out so that no matter who is under center in Vegas next season, they’re throwing the ball to No. 17 a lot.
2022 Stats: 17 games, 100 receptions (180 targets), 1,516 yards, 14 TD
2023 Outlook
How does one follow up a season in which they lead the league in touchdowns, finishing third in yards and second in targets?
If you’re Davante Adams, the answer has to be with more consistency. We know what the highs look like with Adams — the contested catches, the ankle-breaking routes, the yards after catch for crucial first downs — but what the Raiders need to see next season is the same thing without any drop-offs. And as long as they don’t screw things up at the quarterback position, I think that’s exactly what they’re going to get.
While Carr’s scouting report might include a little bit of apprehension about throwing into double coverage or tight windows, the next guy up has to be trained to trust the guy with No. 17 on his chest in just about every situation. For all of his flaws, one thing Jarrett Stidham brought to the Raiders in his two starts was a willingness to extend plays, take hits and chuck the ball up in the direction of Adams — which is part of the reason Adams had 226 receiving yards in those two games.
For all the questions the Raiders have next season, the good news for Josh McDaniels is that Adams isn’t one — no matter who else is around him (or how good they are), Adams is going to be open and ready to catch the ball.
