The Green Bay Packers are an underwhelming 3-2 and Aaron Rodgers targeted Randall Cobb 13 times in route to a second-half collapse in London. The Las Vegas Raiders are an atrocious 1-4 and last night Davante Adams slammed his helmet and shoved a cameraman after a disappointing meltdown in Kansas City.
There’s no telling where we’ll be by the end of the season, or for that matter three to five years from now, but currently there are no winners in the Davante Adams trade.
The deal that broke up the best quarterback receive duo in the NFL netted Green Bay Quay Walker and Christian Watson. Although Walker looks like an emerging stud we have to view all of this through the context of Aaron Rodgers closing window. With Rodgers on the field the Packers are a championship contender. When he leaves, they are a question mark. Watson can barely get looks on the field currently. He’s a top 40 pick being resorted to jet sweeps at a time when the team is in desperate need of top end talent.
Packers fans were sold a vision.
“Yes, the passing will be a work in progress, but don’t worry, the defense is elite and the running backs will carry this team until the young receivers catch up.
Plus we brought in Sammy Watkins to help us until the young guys are ready. Don’t worry about his long injury history, we think this is a great solution.”
Unfortunately the defense has been more of a problem than a solution. They’ve been historically bad against the run and seem hell bent on setting a record for missed tackles. Everybody wants to dump on Joe Barry, and I am all for that, but we need to consider the possibility that a complete lack of dominance from the offense might be exposing a defense that wasn’t quite as good as we thought it was. It’s a lot easier to play defense when you have one of the best offenses in the league on the sideline.
And the running game, although very good, seems to disappear when the Packers need it the most. On Sunday in London every single rushing play earned more than 2 yards, but then with the game on the line, on third and fourth down with 2 yards to go, Lafluer and Rodgers turned to the passing game.
In this moment there can’t be a Packers fan on earth who wouldn’t trade Walker and Watson straight up for Davante Adams.
Imagine this team without Walker but a receiving room featuring Davante Adams, Allen Lazard, Romeo Dobbs and Randall Cobb as their fourth option! Stack that on top of the best running back combo in the league and have it all directed by one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time? I bet you see your defensive statistics improve.
For the first-time since the trade took place I’m not totally convinced they can overcome their situation. I’ve been The biggest pusher of the “we just need time” narrative, but more and more this is looking like an “ability” problem not a “time to develop” problem.
Adams on the other hand is consistently on record of wanting to win. Well, the Raiders are doing everything except for winning. Two epic collapses against the Cardinals and Chiefs highlight a team and an offense that just can’t put anyone away. If Adams wanted to win a Super Bowl he sure chose the wrong place this year.
It’s almost impossible to expect an NFL trade to turn out well for both parties. The Stefon Diggs to Buffalo for the draft pick that became Justin Jefferson trade is an all-time outlier. We will never see anything like that ever again.
The odd circumstances surrounding the trade, including Rodgers closing championship window and a front office that is apparently completely against drafting first round wide receivers make defining winners and losers even more difficult. There are so many factors.
If the Packers can get things together and win a Super Bowl this year or next, Adams will look very shortsighted. He could’ve played out another two-year extension with a Hall of Fame quarterback to chase trophies and then still spent part of his prime with his buddy Derek Carr.
If the Packers are giving Randall Cobb 13 targets in week 12 on their way to an early playoff exit in one of Rodgers last years, this will have been an ultimate disaster.
Right now all we know is two very obvious things.
Green Bay, Matt LaFleur, Aaron Rodgers, and even the defense all miss Davante Adams.
And Davante Adams never once had to shove a cameraman in Lambeau because his team sucked.
