Nathaniel Hackett Says Broncos Will Have 'A Couple Plans' for Raiders WR Davante Adams
In the wake of the massive dent GM George Paton put in the football universe since the 2022 offseason began, the NFL has been all-eyes on the Denver Broncos. The blockbuster trade of quarterback Russell Wilson not only sparked a massive onslaught of Broncos' acquisitions, but also a veritable arms race in the AFC West.
We're not just talking about premier pass rushers taking their talents to Los Angeles and Las Vegas — AFC West clubs have been arming up for what is projected to be the most quarterback-centric and explosive division in the NFL.
The Las Vegas Raiders haven't sat out of this divisional arms race. After hiring Josh McDaniels as head coach, the Raiders orchestrated their own marquee trade, acquiring Green Bay Packers wide receiver Davante Adams. Adams is coming off five straight Pro Bowl nods and two consecutive All-Pro selections.
Adams spent the past three years under Nathaniel Hackett in Green Bay. Hackett, Green Bay's offensive coordinator from 2019-21, knows Adams' strengths and weaknesses as well as any coach in the NFL. Suffice to say, Hackett will have a plan(s) in place for the star wideout when the Broncos draw the Raiders on the schedule.
“I’m so excited to see him two times a year," Hackett said from the NFL Owners Meetings in Florida on Monday. "I’m going to have a couple plans for him after being with him for three years. You know, a couple things."
But wait, Coach. Surely there's more to your how-do-we-stop-Adams blueprint?
"I’ll be talking with [defensive coordinator] Ejiro [Evero] quite a bit," Hackett said. "Davante is a great man, and there’s going to be a lot of talking going on in that game because that’s my guy and we know how to get under each other’s skin, too. It’s going to be really fun.”
Don't let Hackett's affable personality fool you: he's a fiery competitor. Broncos fans will see that come out in the wash from the sidelines come September.
For now, Hackett's plans for the Broncos' offense, defense, and special teams lie in potentia and fans won't really be able to get a bead on it until July at the soonest but more likely, September. It won't be easy accounting for Adams, though, especially in light of the fact that he'll be catching passes from his college quarterback moving forward.
From 2012-13, Adams accounted for a whopping 3,031 yards of Carr's 9,184 passing yards at Fresno State. Over that two-year stretch, Adams also hauled in 38 of Carr's 87 passing touchdowns.
These two have been joined at the hip for a decade, even though they've spent their entire pro careers playing apart. It won't take long to pick up right where Carr and Adams left off.
That means the Broncos will need Patrick Surtain II and Ronald Darby to step up twice a year when the Raiders are on the schedule. It'll be a test but one that Hackett and company will relish.
In 16 games for the Packers last year, Adams posted a career-high in receptions (123) and yards (1,553) to go along with 11 touchdowns.
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