Even though Davante Adams is no longer with the team, Raider fans are going to close out the season with a special rooting interest in their former All-Pro wide receiver.
Adams isn’t headed to the AFC Championship game, and he won’t be named an All Pro after the season. That means the Raiders aren’t going to get the conditional second-round pick from the Jets that they would have received if he reached one of those benchmarks.
Now the Raiders can focus their draft energy on just rooting against the Jets. The more Adams loses, the higher the third-round pick from the Jets will be.
Of course, there’s also a human element to the Adams situation, and Raider Nation Radio host Q Myers acknowledged this week that he can be a little “petty” when he watches the Jets’ season circle the drain.
“I don’t like to be petty. Like none of us should be petty, or at least I don’t think I should be petty. But every time I see the Jets lose, it just puts a warm spot in my heart,” Myers said on the Locked on Raiders podcast. “When I see Davante somewhat struggle or put a ball on the ground, it puts a warm spot in my heart because so many issues and so many fingers that he pointed at the Raiders organization, and rightfully so, there’s a lot of them that could be pointed at him as well.”
“I am surprised that I’m even saying this, but he’s not quite the Davante Adams that he was,” Myers continued. “It’s being shown now that he’s back with his best buddy in Aaron Rodgers, and they’re still not having success. It really opens my eyes to, well, maybe he’s starting to drop off a little bit himself. When the Jets continue to lose, like I said, it continues to make a warm spot in my heart since that was what he preferred. He preferred to be traded from the Raiders because they were such a mess.”
There are a lot of details we might never know about Adams’ relatively short tenure with the Raiders, but there have been signs he had become frustrated with the organization going back to last year.
Sports Illustrated insider Hondo Carpenter wrote an in-depth article about when and where the relationship between Adams and the Raiders came off the tracks, and it will be interesting to see if Adams has any kind of response in his next segment on the Up and Adams Show.
According to Carpenter, the tipping point between Adams and the Raiders began during OTAs.
“When Adams failed to show up for voluntary OTA’s, the pot began to boil over into frustration,” Hondo reported this week.
“While the team was at work, Adams posted a video of him washing his car on social media… Adams’ actions spoke loudly to his teammates, many of whom simply began to ‘move on mentally’ from him. The Raiders organization, however, saw it differently. While some saw it for what it was, others thought the talented WR was simply a ‘diva’ by nature.”
“All of that led to what many felt was the nail in the relationship’s coffin,” Hondo continued. “Pierce, after his edict of a fast start, informed the team that all players would play in the preseason if healthy. Spirited, Pierce had spoken to the team about the Raiders’ legacy of toughness and that he wanted to start fast.”
“The team warmly embraced their new coach’s command and were excited to play except for Adams. On Aug. 14, Pierce interacted with the media after Adams had made it clear he didn’t want to play in the team’s final preseason game. He was asked the question: ‘You said starters will play this week. Davante Adams last night said he’d choose not too if it was up to him. Will there be a conversation, or do you think that he’s kind of at the point in his career where it’s up to him?’ Pierce [said] “No, if you’re healthy, you’ll play.’”
“Pierce had drawn the line in the sand,” Hondo continued. “That led to one team source telling us, ‘I am sure Adams will have a hammy issue so he doesn’t have to play. If he doesn’t, I don’t see how that can do anything other than hurt this team. It will be such a disrespect of AP, he will be done. Until he’s gone, that will not be good in this locker room.’”
x: @raidersbeat
If you miss him so much since he left move in with him and Rodgers and be his butt buddy…my goodness he was never on the team long enough to be a Raider… he didn’t want to be a Raider and all you do is talk like you gave him your butt… how pathetic can a insider get…
Q, I agree with you wholeheartedly. I refuse to wish any bad on anyone but I lost a bit of love for Davante Adams when he quit on our Raiders !! He literally jumped out of the pot into the fire. The jets were going nowhere and he thought he could talk them up into being competitive.
I guess him and hoss Rodgers don’t have the magic potion to get them into the playoffs.
Kinda makes my heart a bit warm and fuzzy also !!!
F——- ’em, he’s where he wants to be. The motto ” Once A Raider, always a Raider ” must apply to only a select few players and staff. The times have changed and if you don’t bleed silver and black, then that motto doesn’t apply to you .
The joke’s STILL on the Raiders for giving up No.1&2 picks, while ONLY getting a No.3 in return. Adams struggling with the Jets still doesn’t make our team any better.
I to am petty and glad to see that diva struggling. The old saying goes, sometimes one will cut off his nose to spite his face! And the grass is not always greener on the other side! 😉😎