One of the biggest trades that has happened during the NFL offseason is the Packers sending wide receiver Davante Adams to the Las Vegas Raiders for a first-round and second-round draft pick. The trade means the Packers need a No. 1 target for star quarterback Aaron Rodgers. During the first round of the NFL Draft, Rodgers talked about the trade on the Pat McAfee Show and revealed the move caught him off-guard.
“It was a little surprising with Davante — obviously when I made my decision, I was still thinking he was going to come back,” Rodgers said, per NFL.com. “I was very honest with him about my plans and my future and where I saw my career going, as far as how many years I want to play. But I felt like he was going to be back, didn’t obviously turn out that way but I have so much love for ‘Tae and appreciate the time we spent together and definitely wish him the best [with] Derek [Carr] in Vegas. But that’s a big hole to fill.”
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Adams was traded because he wanted to play for the Raiders, according to NFL.com. When he joined the Raiders, the All-Pro wide receiver signed a five-year $141.25 million contract. The Packers reportedly offered Adams more money, but he decided to play with Raiders quarterback Derek Carr as they were teammates at Fresno State.
“It’s a tough business, it’s a wonderful profession. Those of us who have been [able] to play for so long realize that completely,” Rodgers said. “There’s a lot of things that happen that surprise you, even still. I thought that based on the number that we offered Davante and being able to play with me for a few more years would make a difference, but in the end I think he was ready to move on and wanted my help in making that happen.
“It was a tough position to be in, for sure, because I love him and I care about him and I want him to be happy, and he’s definitely going to be missed.” The Packers had two first-round picks on Thursday but didn’t take a wide receiver. Currently, Green Bay has Randall Cobb, Sammy Watkins, Allen Lazard, Amari Rodgers and Juwann Winfree as its wide receivers on the roster.
