Raiders acquire star receiver in blockbuster trade

The Raiders’ search for a top-flight wide receiver is over.

Davante Adams, widely considered the league’s best player at the position, was acquired from Green Bay in a blockbuster trade on Thursday, reuniting the five-time Pro Bowler and two-time first-team All-Pro with his college quarterback, Derek Carr.

The Packers will receive the Raiders’ first- and second-round picks in next month’s NFL draft.

Adams, 29, is expected to sign a contract extension with the Raiders that will make him the highest-paid receiver in NFL history. The deal is believed to be for five years and more than $140 million.

His numbers would support such a distinction.

Adams leads the NFL with 15 games with at least 100 receiving yards since 2020 and has had at least 110 receptions in three of the last four seasons.

During that same span, he leads the league with 432 catches, 5,310 receiving yards and 47 touchdowns.

Adams also has a long history with Carr going back to their days at Fresno State. Over two seasons together, Adams led the FBS in catches, yards and receiving touchdowns while Carr led in passing yards and touchdowns.

They have remained friends and spoken openly about their desire to play together again.

“Obviously I love Derek to death,” Adams told ABC 30 in Fresno last summer. “We have a great friendship and we still communicate really, really consistently. He’s one of my best friends. So obviously it would be a dream to be able to play with him.”

That dream is now a reality.

“Welcome home,” Carr tweeted at Adams after news of the trade broke on Thursday evening.

Adams’ contract with the Packers expired at the end of the season, but the team placed a franchise tag on him. That distinction kept him from becoming a free agent and would have had him playing in Green Bay, where he has spent his entire career, for $18.4 million this season.

He reportedly told the Packers this week he would not play under the franchise tag even though Green Bay quarterback Aaron Rodgers had agreed to an extension to remain with the team.

Adams and the Packers were at an impasse after he turned down their latest offer on a long-term deal this week.

The trade ends Adams’ time in Green Bay after eight years with the Packers. He is second on the franchise’s all-time receptions list and fourth in yardage.

He finished second to Cooper Kupp this season in receiving grade, according to Pro Football Focus.

Adams joins a Raiders’ offense that already has one of the league’s top slot receivers in Hunter Renfrow, who had 103 catches last season. Darren Waller, one of the top tight ends in the game, had 55 catches in just 11 games a year after hauling in 107 passes.

The offense should be even more potent now, which could mean less work for one of the Raiders’ Pro Bowlers.

“Oh, so I’m not punting at all next year huh? lets gooooooo,” A.J. Cole posted on Twitter.

The first pick for the Raiders in the draft, which starts April 28 and will be held in Las Vegas, will be in the third round at No. 86 overall.

Contact Adam Hill at ahill@reviewjournal.com. Follow @AdamHillLVRJ on Twitter.