The Las Vegas Raiders recently traded star wide receiver Davante Adams to the New York Jets after the veteran requested to be dealt as the team crumbled around him.
Adams’ exit was obviously not well-received by Raiders fans, who rightly felt that he abandoned the team. Not to mention, Adams said on multiple occasions that he didn’t want to be traded, even though that ended up not being the case.
While Raiders fans are no doubt angry with Adams right now, they actually should be cheering him on in his new home. That’s because his performance is directly tied to Las Vegas getting a better draft pick from the trade with the Jets.
The Raiders received a conditional third-round pick from New York in exchange for Adams’ services, and that pick can become a second-rounder if just one of four conditions are met.
Those four conditions are Adams getting a first-team All-Pro nod, a second-team All-Pro selection, or Adams being on either the Jets’ active AFC Championship Game or Super Bowl roster.
While the latter two conditions aren’t likely to happen considering where the Jets sit right now and what their history is, it isn’t impossible to think he could be an All-Pro when the season is all said and done.
After all, Adams is back with his buddy Aaron Rodgers, who he enjoyed immense success with during their days together with the Green Bay Packers. One would assume that the pair will pick up where it left off.
And, if that turns out to be the case and we get the vintage Rodgers to Adams connection over the final 11 games of the season, the veteran wideout could produce numbers good enough to get one of the two aforementioned accolades.
Considering how things ended, it’s not easy for Raiders fans to put their feelings aside and root for a player like Adams, but when you consider how bad things are in Las Vegas right now, the only thing that truly matters is getting a better draft pick that can help the Raiders down the road.