Davante Adams trade: Early thoughts

Remember all the way back to Tuesday night when the Raider Nation was furious with the new Las Vegas Raiders brass for sitting on their hands?

Those were crazy days, right?

Now, it’s 48 hours later and fans want to bear-hug Josh McDaniels and Dave Ziegler for their unbelievable genius. That’s right, Davante Adams is a Raider. Shocking, right?

Here’s some initial thoughts about this blockbuster:

The Raiders stole Adams from Green Bay. They are giving up their first (No. 22) and second (No. 53) picks in this year’s draft for the All-Pro? That’s it?!? I thought it would take two first-round picks or a first, second and a player. This is a great deal for Las Vegas.

Of course, this is a counter:

That sounds like buzz kill to me. Adams is going to be so motivated to play well. Sure, in four years he might fade, but the Raiders are going to have a chance to win a lot of games in the meantime.

As a result of the trade, here are the Raiders five remaining draft picks, beginning April 29:

• Round 3, No. 86 overall
• Round 4, No. 126 overall
• Round 5, No. 164 overall
• Round 5, No. 165 overall
• Round 7, No. 227 overall

The draft in Las Vegas won’t be so exciting this spring for Raiders fans, but the fall and winter at Allegiant Stadium is going to be electric.

Adams is getting a five-year, $141.25 million deal. It is a record for a wide receiver, which is tremendous. But there are going to be some ramifications soon ... Of course, Maxx Crosby just signed a four-year deal worth almost $100 million. New pass-rusher Chandler Jones just signed for three years $51.5 million. And a Derek Carr extension is inevitably coming.

That is a lot of big deals. Hunter Renfrow is eligible for a big deal and star tight end Darren Waller will want a new one soon, too. At some point, there may be salary issues, but for now, the Raiders are poised to win and they better do it.

Oh, and a weapon group of Adams, Waller, Renfrow and Josh Jacobs is nasty.

This takes big pressure off of Bryan Edwards and he will be allowed to grow into his role without a lot of expectations.

What an absolute game changer this is for the offense. McDaniels is going to have a field day with these players and his playbook.

And yes, the AFC West is going to be stupid good. Every team has made some big moves but the Raiders can stack right up with them with this offense and the Jones-Crosby led defense.

The trade has lowered the Raiders’ odds in 2022. According to our friends at DraftKings Sportsbook, the Raiders are now 7-1 to win the AFC West and 40-1 to win the Super Bowl.

Things are getting real.

Yes, the Raiders still have needs. The offensive line, defensive tackle and linebacker are needs and they may not get much immediate help in the draft — but the AFC West is about right now and the Raiders showed this week, they’re ready to play.