Las Vegas Raiders general manager Tom Telesco has big decisions to make this offseason. After opting to stand by Antonio Pierce as head coach, the question now becomes what personnel moves the Raiders can make to improve on a team that went 8-9 despite a late-season push. The team is lacking in superstar talent, with Davante Adams, Maxx Crosby and free agent Josh Jacobs making up most of the star power.
And that immediately led to rumors about Adams’ availability. The concept of trading Adams is not new considering that the New York Jets would certainly have interest in reuniting Adams with Aaron Rodgers. And if the Raiders are trying to retool, it may be wise to deal with one of their most valuable players while his price is still high.
Telesco took a moment to address the rumors at a recent press conference, vehemently denying that Adams was on the block or will be traded at any point this offseason, according to Paul Gutierrez of ESPN:
“He’s a Raider,” new Las Vegas Raiders general manager Tom Telesco said at the combine Tuesday.
Of course, this is a player’s league, and sometimes even if an organization doesn’t want to part ways with a player, that guy may want to find a new home. Luckily for the Raiders, it doesn’t appear that Adams wants out any time soon. In fact, he’s excited about his chance to reunite with new offensive coordinator Luke Getsy. The two worked together during Adams’ rookie season with the Green Bay Packers.
“He’s the type of coach that’s open-minded … he’s going to be open to hearing things from the veteran players that know how this thing works and the best way to do things,” said Adams, who had 103 receptions last season but his lowest receiving yards per catch average (11.1) since 2015, and his fewest TD catches (8) since 2019, when he played in 12 games.
“Open-mindedness and, like I said, that innovation to the offense and a good run-pass balance,” Adams said of Getsy. “And that’s what I’m used to, that West Coast style. Going to be fun getting to work on a new system, [yet] something that’s a little bit more familiar.”
Things can change quickly during the course of an NFL offseason, but for now, it seems the Raiders and Adams are on the same page about him staying in Las Vegas for the foreseeable future.
Raiders hoping to re-sign Jacobs
With Pierce and Telesco on board, the Raiders have the decision-makers in place to figure out how to get the roster to a place where they can compete with the rest of the league. By all accounts, Pierce wants his team to play fast, physical, and aggressive, and the Raiders will surely use free agency and the 2024 NFL Draft to find players who fit that mold.
However, Las Vegas also has decisions to make on their own free agents, and they are reportedly looking to re-sign star running back Josh Jacobs.
