Davante Adams Addresses the Media: “It’s a Dream to be a Raider”

Last week, the Las Vegas Raiders’ new regime pulled off their biggest move of the offseason so far. Head coach Josh McDaniels and general manager Dave Ziegler traded the Raiders’ first and second-round picks to the Green Bay Packers in exchange for superstar wide receiver Davante Adams.

The trade is now official, and on Tuesday, Davante Adams spoke with the Las Vegas media for the first time as a Raider.

There was a lot of speculation regarding how the trade went down. Adams clarified that he and Derek Carr have always wanted to play professionally together, and how thrilled he was that it worked out.

“It is a dream to be a Raider, man, it’s a dream come true,” Adams said. “In the third-grade yearbook, I said I wanted to be an NFL star, I was wearing a Charles Woodson jersey… I guess you could say it was meant to be.”

Adams commented on the explosiveness of the AFC West, which has improved exponentially this offseason.

“This is the best division in football right now. It’s loaded, it’s not going to be easy, but it’s something I’m looking forward to. I’m always looking for a challenge… I’m excited to see what’s ahead.”

Bringing Adams to Las Vegas is a sign that the Raiders are in “win-now” mode. Despite their rivals signing some of the biggest names in football, the Raiders are eager to stay competitive. In a division as tough as theirs, it will take all their firepower to get to the top, and trading for Adams is the kind of aggressiveness that will help them get there.

Ninth-year veteran QB Derek Carr is finally reunited with his best friend and college WR1. The last time the two played together, Adams had 131 receptions for 1,719 yards and 24 touchdowns, per Sports Reference. Since then, the two have dreamt of reuniting and now get a chance to do so with Davante Adams as a Raider.

With a little over one month until the draft, Adams and Carr have a long way to go before they can hit the field as teammates again in September. McDaniels and Ziegler will continue building the roster to best support Carr and Adams as they look to bring home a Super Bowl.

Adams left Raider Nation with a parting message.

“Raider Nation, I’m here, it’s real… I’m excited, I’m ready to get to work. Let’s do this thing.”