Josh McDaniels Is Going For It In His First Season With Raiders
BOSTON (CBS) -- After years of not having a true No. 1 receiver at his disposal in New England, Josh McDaniels went out and got one of the best in the business for his Raiders. Las Vegas acquired Davante Adams in a blockbuster trade with the Green Bay Packers on Thursday night.
McDaniels and GM Dave Ziegler, the former Patriots exec who followed McDaniels to Vegas, are certainly going for it in their first season in Vegas. And they kind of have to, with the rest of the AFC West loading up to try to take down the Kansas City Chiefs.
Acquiring Adams will help the Raiders keep up in the arms race in the division, giving Derek Carr an elite receiver in his prime who is coming off a 123-catch, 1,553-yard season in Green Bay. Adams had 11 touchdowns last season, one year removed from an 18-touchdown campaign in 2020. He's hauled in at least 10 touchdowns in five of his last six seasons, and has found the end zone 73 times during his eight-year career.
The guy is good, and now McDaniels gets to build an offense around him, Carr, Josh Jacobs, Hunter Renfrew and Darren Waller. Mac Jones must be pretty jealous of what McDaniels and Carr will be working with in 2022.
It did cost the Raiders quite a bit to add one of the most electrifying receivers in the game. They're reportedly sending their top two picks in 2022, No. 22 overall in the first round and No. 53 overall in the second round. Vegas is also reportedly signing Adams to a five-year contract that includes $67.5 million in fully guaranteed money.
While the Patriots have pretty much sat out this offseason, McDaniels and Ziegler have been busy with their new team. They've added the likes of cornerback Anthony Averett, defensive end Chandler Jones and receiver Mack Hollins this offseason, among others. They also grabbed a pair of Patriots free agents, bringing Brandon Bolden and Jakob Johnson out west.
Adams is obviously their biggest splash, nearly as big as Denver's acquisition of Russell Wilson. The pickup shifted their Super Bowl odds from 60-to-1 to 50-to-1, though they hold the fourth-best odds in their division.
Life is tough in the AFC West, but McDaniels is letting it fly this offseason. A great offseason doesn't always lead to success when the real season begins, but McDaniels and Ziegler are setting the Raiders up to contend for years to come.
