While Aaron Rodgers deliberates his return to Green Bay next season, Russ Ball and Brian Gutekunst have been furiously crunching numbers around various roster compositions spawned by the future hall of famer's decision. One fixed variable in their economic analysis should be a big number allocated to the game's best wideout, Davante Adams.
Adams has been adamant about landing a big-time contract that validates his standing as the best receiver in the game, probably translating to $27 to $30 million per year on a multi-year deal. That's not exactly pocket change for a team that's already shelled out monster extensions to Rodgers, Aaron Jones, David Bakhtiari, Kenny Clark and several other stars on defense.
And, despite salary cap pressure, they'll need to find a way to keep No. 17 in green and gold for at least one more season.
A Crucial Asset in Any Scenario
Whether it's Aaron Rodgers or Jordan Love under center, Adams is a critical component in an offense that has admittedly relied less on the passing game in recent years. For Rodgers, Adams is his go-to target; a major reason for a late-career renaissance and back-to-back MVP seasons; the guy that he leans on in crunch time. For Love, Adams represents the kind of premier pass-catcher that a young quarterback needs to take his game to the next level.
How does Adams' presence affect the broader offense? There's a camp that believes Adams adversely affects the Packers' offensive production, as seen in times when Rodgers repeatedly forces the ball to Adams. In these games, the Packers are sometimes guilty of getting away from run and play action-centric play calling that keeps defenses honest. After all, the Packers are 7-0 without Adams over the past three seasons.
However, the sporadic success without Adams is not one that can be extrapolated over the course of a season. His mid-size build paired with sneaky quickness makes him capable of lining up on both the perimeter or in the slot, burning defenses on screens or downfield. Such a skill set is no where to be found in one-trick ponies Marquez Valdes-Scantling and Allen Lazard, both of whom rarely draw a double-team.
How the Packers Should Proceed
It's true that handing Adams a long-term extension would put the Packers in a precarious state financially. With that said, the franchise tag that costs around $19 million for a wide receiver and keeps Adams in Green Bay for one more year makes perfect sense. However, he's made it violently clear how he'd feel about being tagged. We shouldn't overlook the role that his attitude could play on locker room demeanor, especially if it's the still-developing Love throwing to him and potentially dampening his stats ahead of free agency.
If the Packers are able to spring for more than a one-year tag, look for them to offer Adams a three-year, team-friendly deal or more lucrative, two-year contract like the one they gave to Jermichael Finley in 2012.
In any scenario, it's vital that Gutekunst bend his "Best Player Available" draft philosophy and find the next Adams in this coming draft. While this year's wide receiver class isn't as deep as that of the 2020 and 2021 drafts, it has a top-heavy contingent of receivers in Garrett Wilson, Chris Olave, Drake London, Treylon Burks and David Bell that could transition into a WR1 role after only a season or two in the league.
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