Las Vegas Raiders

The Las Vegas Raiders joined the AFC West battle of riches with a blockbuster trade that will reunite former Fresno State teammates Derek Carr and Davante Adams. Though we shouldn't get ahead of ourselves with playoff predictions after ESPN's Adam Schefter broke the news, the Silver and Black have a duo that can lead the team to a Super Bowl.

Some football purists will continue to say, "defense wins championships," but teams don't need the Steel Curtain to reach the title game. In the modern league, a squad with a potent offense can get the job done—just look at the two clubs in Super Bowl 56.

The Los Angeles Rams and Cincinnati Bengals finished the regular season with top-eight scoring offenses and scoring defenses that ranked 15th and 17th, respectively.

Offensively, Adams will draw a ton of attention and double-teams, which will open up space for Pro Bowl tight end Darren Waller, who had back-to-back 1,145-plus-yard seasons between 2019 and 2020, and Hunter Renfrow, an ascending receiver coming off a strong campaign with 103 receptions for 1,038 yards and nine touchdowns. 

With Carr's accurate arm (65 percent career completion rate) and his perimeter weapons, running backs Josh Jacobs and Kenyan Drake will see lighter boxes on the ground. If Vegas doesn't do enough to fix the offensive line, head coach Josh McDaniels can use the short passing game to offset some of the pass-blocking issues. 

Speaking of the Raiders offensive line, the unit needs a makeover after Alex Leatherwood showed little signs of promise at right tackle and right guard. Vegas should also find an upgrade for left guard John Simpson, who allowed three sacks and committed 10 penalties in 2021, per Pro Football Focus.

Nevertheless, the Raiders offensive line isn't the Achilles' heel that will sink their chance at a Super Bowl appearance. 

At 10-7, Vegas clinched a playoff spot with an offensive line that featured four new starters for the 2021 season. For comparison, the Bengals, with their poor offensive line, contributed to quarterback Joe Burrow taking 70 sacks (third-most in NFL history) between the regular season and the playoffs. Yet, he still helped lead his team to the Super Bowl.

The new Carr-Adams connection doesn't erase all ills, but it allows the Raiders to compete with the Kansas City Chiefs, Los Angeles Chargers and Denver Broncos—who acquired quarterback Russell Wilson via trade—in scoring shootouts while making it tougher for pass defenses. 

With arguably the league's best receiver in the fold, expect the Raiders to target offensive linemen who can slow down pass-rushers within the division such as Khalil Mack, Joey Bosa, Chris Jones, Frank Clark, Bradley Chubb and Randy Gregory, giving Carr, who has a quick release, just enough time to get the ball out to his top playmaker. 

On the open market, Vegas can take a look at La'el Collins, Daryl Williams and Billy Turner as potential options to fill a void at right tackle. Also, a playoff-caliber squad with the added draw of a high-level quarterback-receiver tandem can garner interest from quality veterans who would take modest deals to play for a team with some buzz.

Keep in mind, a couple of weeks ago, McDaniels said team brass hadn't started negotiations with Carr's camp about an extension, which may cost the club $40 million per year beyond 2022, per Las Vegas Review-Journal's Vincent Bonsignore. The front office may want to fill holes before it hammers out a massive deal for the 30-year-old quarterback. With linebacker Cory Littleton and Carl Nassib earmarked as post-June 1 cuts, Vegas will have an additional $20 million to invest in Carr's new deal late in the spring.

Though the Raiders will need to spend responsibly with Adams on a new five-year, $141.3 million contract, per NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, general manager Dave Ziegler doesn't face an impossible task as we've seen with the Rams, who have routinely manipulated the salary cap to acquire big-time players.

Coming off of a successful title run, the Rams signed wideout Allen Robinson II to a three-year, $46.5 million contract (h/t NFL Network's Tom Pelissero) on the day after losing edge-rusher Von Miller to the Buffalo Bills in free agency, which shows the importance of fielding a high-level offense in the modern game. By the way, Los Angeles had about $2 million in cap space.

In analyzing the roster makeup and spending strategy of the Rams and Bengals, we shouldn't point to a shaky offensive line or limited cap flexibility as reasons to exclude the Raiders from the Super Bowl discussion next season. 

Defensively, Vegas must add a couple of defensive linemen in addition to Bilal Nichols, but they have a strong pass rush that can apply consistent quarterback pressure and close games. 

Before the trade for Adams, the Raiders signed Chandler Jones, who's recorded double-digit sacks in six of the last seven seasons. He'll pair up with Pro Bowl pass-rusher and 2021 second-team All-Pro Maxx Crosby to form a dynamic edge-rushing duo.

If Jones and Crosby get to the quarterback, the Raiders defensive backs won't have to cover receivers for extended periods. Trayvon Mullen, Anthony Averett, Rock Ya-Sin and Nate Hobbs won't strike anyone as top-notch cornerbacks, but they're all capable of feeding off a defense that's built around a viable pass rush.

Even with the question marks across the offensive line and the transition from former defensive coordinator Gus Bradley to Patrick Graham, the Raiders have hit big in two key areas that mirror exactly what we just saw in the last two Super Bowl contenders.

Along with the pass-rushers to clamp down on opposing offenses, think about the Carr-Adams connection in the same light as Matthew Stafford throwing to 2021 Offensive Player of the Year Cooper Kupp or Joe Burrow re-establishing a bond with his former LSU teammate in 2021 Offensive Rookie of the Year Ja'Marr Chase.

Before the Raiders sent shockwaves across the league with the move for Adams, they already had a high-level quarterback in Carr who's hovering in the top-10-12 range at his position. Now, with an elite receiver, he'll likely have a spike in efficiency and production. 

At 29 years old, in his prime, Adams has racked up 1,374 receiving yards or more in three of the last four seasons and led the league in touchdown receptions (18) for the 2020 season. Without him, the Raiders finished with the sixth-ranked passing attack despite a subpar offensive line and losing Waller late in the season. The team also waived Henry Ruggs III, its best deep threat, midway through the season after he was charged with four felonies for a car crash that resulted in the death of 23-year-old Tina Tintor.

Now, the Raiders add a star receiver who has a ready-made rapport with Carr and the ability to soundly beat defenders off the line of scrimmage with savvy releases and a catch rate above 72 percent over the last two seasons.   

We often think of the quarterback as the primary player to elevate his teammates, and that still holds true for the Raiders. Michael Crabtree, Jared Cook and Waller have had some of their best seasons playing with Carr. Renfrow made a huge leap between his second and third campaigns. 

So we should expect a stellar joint performance when Carr reconnects with Adams, who's an elite talent in his own right, which spells trouble for not only the AFC West but the rest of the league.

Maurice Moton covers the NFL for Bleacher Report. You can follow him on Twitter @MoeMoton.

The Las Vegas Raiders acquired Davante Adams from the Green Bay Packers in exchange for a 2022 first-round pick and a 2022 second-rounder, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter.

As part of the trade, Adams will sign a five-year, $141.25 million contract, per NFL Network's Ian Rapoport.

This comes after the Packers placed the franchise tag on Adams earlier this month after the two sides were unable to reach a long-term deal. However, he reportedly informed the team earlier this week he wouldn't play under the tag.

According to Rob Demovsky of ESPN, Green Bay was willing to offer Adams the same contract as Las Vegas, but the wideout "preferred to play elsewhere."

Rapoport also noted that quarterback Aaron Rodgers—who recently signed a reported three-year, $150.8 million contract—was aware that Adams would not be returning to the team:

Adams has been the NFL's most productive receiver of the past half-decade, creating a connection with Rodgers that has allowed him to thrive despite a constantly changing group of fellow pass-catchers around him in Green Bay.

The 29-year-old ranks second in receptions (506), first in receiving yards (6,195) and first in touchdown catches (57) over the past five years.

Adams is coming off a 2021 season in which he posted career-high totals in catches (123) and yards (1,553) while finding the end zone 11 times in 16 games.

In December, Rodgers called his favorite target the "best player I've played with," a sentiment the Fresno State product deeply appreciated:

To see that he acknowledges it at that level, there's really not any words I can put together to say how much it means to me. It just continues to push me. I think with certain people, hearing stuff like that, being the best, whether it's in general or the best a certain player of a certain magnitude has played with, there's two responses, typically: You either fall back and get comfortable, because you feel like you've reached a certain point, or it drives you. And I feel like it continues to push me.

Adams has never featured blazing speed by NFL standards—he posted a 4.56-second 40-yard dash at the 2014 Scouting Combine—but his combination of agility, route-running skills and hands have allowed him to build a Hall of Fame resume. Those traits tend to endure, which gives him a great chance to remain a high-impact player well into his 30s.

He's already earned five Pro Bowl appearances and two first-team All-Pro selections across eight seasons with the Packers.

Adams' move to the Raiders marks the second straight offseason one of the top receivers of the generation switched teams. Julio Jones was traded to the Tennessee Titans last year.

Like Jones, it'll take a while to get used to seeing the California native in a new jersey.

The veteran wide receiver will slot in as the top target for Derek Carr alongside wideout Hunter Renfrow and tight end Darren Waller.

Meanwhile, the Packers now have a massive void to fill at wide receiver while still trying to settle the future of Rodgers, who likely won't be happy about his longtime teammate's exit.

Veteran pass-rusher Chandler Jones is finalizing a deal with the Las Vegas Raiders, per Tom Pelissero of NFL Network.

The deal will be worth $51 million over three years, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport. 

This brings his six-year run with the Arizona Cardinals to an end. The writing was on the wall after ESPN's Jeremy Fowler reported in July he had requested a trade amid a contract standoff.

Fowler noted how the Cardinals invested a big sum in J.J. Watt (two years, $28 million) and handed out lucrative extensions to DeAndre Hopkins (two years, $54.5 million) and Budda Baker (four years, $59 million).

If Arizona wasn't willing to give Jones an extension before the season, then it stood to reason the stance wouldn't change this offseason. The front office didn't let sentiment get in the way of watching franchise legend Patrick Peterson walk as a free agent last spring.

The Cardinals may have had questions about Jones' value after he was limited to five games in 2020 because of a biceps injury.

The 32-year-old returned to form in 2021, finishing with 10.5 sacks, 41 tackles, 12 tackles for loss and six forced fumbles and earning his fourth Pro Bowl nod.

Jones might have played so well that he priced himself out of a return to Arizona given how little wiggle room the Cardinals have with the salary cap. Pro Football Focus ranked him as the third-best free agent:

The 2019 season saw Jones go from solid to elite as a pass-rusher, and he's maintained that status ever since. He attacks tackles with a full array of pass-rush moves and he's an effective run defender, though he's taken a step back in that department over the past two years.

Because of his age, the New York native wasn't bound to give Arizona a hometown discount either. This is likely his last shot at securing a major payday.

Jones might be on the wrong end of the aging curve, but he hasn't shown a reason why his performance will fall off a cliff anytime soon.

In addition, Calais Campbell, Julius Peppers, Terrell Suggs and Cameron Wake are among the players within the last 10 seasons who registered at least 10 sacks in a season after turning 32, per Stathead. Cameron Jordan and Cameron Heyward did it in 2021.

The Cardinals are looking to contend for a Super Bowl in 2022 and want to atone for a disastrous second half of last year, culminating in a lopsided playoff loss to the Los Angeles Rams.

Smart front offices find a way to make the money work when the time comes to retain their best players. The New Orleans Saints have turned it into an art form.

Perhaps there was a way for Cardinals general manager Steve Keim to give Jones a market-level contract while fitting him in under the cap. Should Jones have another productive season with the Raiders, it will look like a mistake on Arizona's part.

Las Vegas finished 10-7 last season and made the playoffs for the first time since 2016.

The path back only gets harder in a division that includes quarterbacks Patrick Mahomes, Justin Herbert and Russell Wilson. Jones will try to help slow down those offenses for the Raiders in 2022 and beyond.

Multiple teams have expressed interest in trading for Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Derek Carr, per Vincent Bonsignore of the Las Vegas Review-Journal.

Carr is entering the final year of a five-year, $125 million contract extension, so he's currently set to become a free agent in 2023.

Of course, it takes at least two teams to make a trade, and the Raiders reportedly appeared ready and willing to stick with Carr beyond 2022, per a report from Ian Rapoport of NFL Network on Feb. 13: "Sources say the Raiders are moving forward with Carr at QB and prepared to discuss a contract extension that would keep him in Las Vegas for the foreseeable future."

The Raiders are under a new regime led by general manager Dave Ziegler and head coach Josh McDaniels, both of whom came over from the New England Patriots.

Rapoport said Carr's top choice for the team's next coach was McDaniels, who most recently served as the Pats' offensive coordinator for a decade. Therefore, it seems both sides are looking to move forward and seeing how this new partnership works out.

Ultimately, it doesn't appear likely that the Raiders would actually deal Carr, even if there's interest from multiple teams.

The 30-year-old Carr just enjoyed a good season for the Silver and Black, which won 10 games and made the playoffs for the first time since 2016.

Carr completed 68.4 percent of his passes for 23 touchdowns (14 interceptions) and 7.7 yards per attempt. He finished 14th in QBR and quarterback rating among league qualifiers, per Pro Football Reference.

There are numerous quarterback-needy teams out there, or at least ones that don't appear to have a cemented long-term solution at signal-caller. Still, Vegas' best bet is to re-sign Carr, build around him under this new regime and see where this core can go after a postseason berth.

Fans will get the first look of Doug Pederson and Josh McDaniels with their new teams on Aug. 4.

Pederson's Jacksonville Jaguars will play McDaniels' Las Vegas Raiders in the annual Hall of Fame Game.

The preseason clash will fall two days before the Hall of Fame welcomes its 2022 class of inductees.

Prior to Monday's news, plenty of Raiders fans were probably already planning on making the trip to Canton, Ohio, to celebrate the careers of Richard Seymour and Cliff Branch. Jaguars fans will be able to honor one of their own as well with Tony Boselli due to receive a gold jacket.

This will be a homecoming for McDaniels. He attended Canton McKinley High School, which plays its home games at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium.

For neutral fans, the Jaguars might be the bigger draw of the two teams for the Hall of Fame Game.

Hiring Urban Meyer was a disaster for Jacksonville as he generated drama away from the field and failed his biggest on-field objective: developing Trevor Lawrence. Lawrence, widely believed to be the best and most pro-ready quarterback in the 2021 draft, threw for 3,641 yards, 12 touchdowns and an NFL-high 17 interceptions.

Lawrence's time in the Hall of Fame Game will likely be limited to a series or two, but his brief time on the field will be carefully scrutinized.

Any extension for Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Derek Carr would reportedly fall in the $40 million-per-season range.

Vincent Bonsignore of the Las Vegas Review-Journal provided the report on the 30-year-old Carr, who has one season left on a five-year, $125.025 million contract extension.

"As it relates to Derek Carr and the Raiders, the sense is no proposals have been exchanged yet on an extension," Bonsignore tweeted.

"You'll see various numbers being thrown around, but, as I've been reporting, any extension would likely be in the $40m per season range."

Carr just led the Raiders to their first playoff appearance since 2016. The three-time Pro Bowler completed 68.4 percent of his passes for 23 touchdowns (14 interceptions) and 7.7 yards per attempt.

Reporter Jordan Schultz tweeted earlier Tuesday that Carr was seeking $35 million-plus per season. He also said both sides were open to a short-term extension.

The Raiders have the option to give Carr the franchise tag, but Schultz tweeted that the expectation is for "things to move rather quickly in the near future" regarding a short-term extension.

Las Vegas is under new leadership in 2022 with the addition of general manager Dave Ziegler and head coach Josh McDaniels, who arrived as a tag team from the New England Patriots.

It appears this duo will put its faith in Carr, per Ian Rapoport of NFL Network on Sunday.

"Sources say the Raiders are moving forward with Carr at QB and prepared to discuss a contract extension that would keep him in Las Vegas for the foreseeable future."

Rapoport also said that Carr's No. 1 head coach choice was McDaniels, so it appears everyone is getting off on the right foot in Vegas.