Raiders Davante Adams from Training Camp

HENDERSON, Nev.--The Las Vegas Raiders have opened their 2023 NFL Training Camp, and wide receiver Davante Adams took to the podium to address the media.

You can watch his entire comments below., and read the transcript:

Wide Receiver Davante Adams

Q: This is your first day working on the field with Jimmy Garoppolo. What were some of your first impressions?

Davante Adams: "Well, first it's good to be together and finally get to work. But yeah, he looks good. It's a process though, we have a lot of things to work through and get on the same page and keep working at it together. But it was definitely a good first day."

Q: What is the difference going into a camp with the comfort level you have now with the offense as compared to last year with kind of everybody learning on the flow?

Adams: "Well, I was just talking to Josh [McDaniels] about that, and I just basically told him like -- because he asked the same question out there basically -- and I said: 'It's a like a whole new world now because you go from saying how can I not mess this up to how can I put my own flavor on it and kind of sauce it up more to fit me and use my creativity within the routes and the scheme to make it that much better.' Rather than just remembering my assignment, it goes to take it to another level. So, definitely a lot more comfortable. I think everybody kind of moved a lot faster out there. Coaches are a lot more loose, so it's good."

Q: I think it was last week you went on the Dan Patrick Show and had a pretty lengthy quote about a conversation you had with Josh Jacobs. How do you kind of balance that between trying to support him and his endeavors, but also obviously wanting to be on the field with you as soon as possible?

Adams: "Well, just keeping it positive, letting him make his decisions and just informing him of my thoughts on whatever it is that he asked about. I don't really like to impose on those type of things, it's a tough process and it's a lot of things. I've obviously been through it. There's a lot of things that go on in your mind when you're going through it. So, I just try to, like I said, help him out as much as possible and let him make his decision."

Q: There are a lot of running backs that have kind of banded together a little bit in response to how maybe they're viewed monetarily and the way the game has been going and the direction that has been going. Can you kind of empathize with where they are in terms of what their pay scale might be?

Adam: "Yeah. Obviously, it's a very crucial position to this league. There's a lot of good ones out there that they do what they do on the field to be compensated for it, and it's a tough battle between organizations in that position right now definitely. But I definitely stand with those guys out there being a player. Also, you understand how the clubs view it too. But it's a tough one to balance if you're not in those shoes, you just try to be there and support them as much as possible."

Q: You mentioned the process of getting in sync with Jimmy [Garoppolo]. Is that a process you enjoy? Something that your experience kind of helps you kind of get going on the right path.

Adams: "For sure. I mean, he's a great guy, easy to talk to, super coachable from the coaches to him and listening to my feedback and the way that I view the game too. Today was very productive, a lot of conversation out there, and we just got to stay on that and continue with it to get to where we want to be obviously come Week 1."

Q: We see that process for you guys during 90 minutes at practice, but how much goes on behind the scenes to maybe expedite the process of you and him getting on the same page and everyone else as well?

Adams: "I mean, you see the tip of the iceberg out there, obviously the rest is underwater, and that's what we deal with throughout the day with the rest of the 23 hours we are in the building. It's a really fun process because you get to see that progress over time. You have conversations, you’ll go out there and not hit a couple, see it on tape and make a few tweaks, and then go out there and hit it, so it's very fun."

Q: How different is it catching balls from different quarterbacks? You've talked about this before, since high school you really you only had two quarterbacks. Now, dealing with going through this again, how different is it catching different balls from different guys?

Adams: "I mean, it's different. It's guys timing, the ball comes out differently, different way you release the ball, but it's all just throwing at the end of the day. Nothing that the reps can't kind of get you used to, so it's not like it's worse or better -- it can be, but in my situation, I've had some guys that know how to get the ball out. So, it's been a pretty easy transition for me."

Q: What's impressed you most about Jimmy Garoppolo in this short time that you've worked with him?

Adams: "Well, today was our only day on the field, obviously, so I'd just say his openness and eagerness to learn, whether that means from me, or to learn the scheme, and the way the coaches want it done. So, really cool guy. We've talked a lot. When I'm going in there getting treatment during the last phase when we were here, I got to learn a lot about him and have some funny, interesting conversations too. So, that's really been the best part for me, is just getting to know him as a person."

Q: You've obviously been through a lot of offseasons in your career. Can you assess how an offseason went for you? Do you know going into camp if it was really good, how you feel, can you kind of judge that?

Adams: "If I'm healthy, it's always good. I mean, I don't change the way I do things. I try to do everything the right way and attack my offseason. Obviously, you cater to different needs based off where you're at, whether it's your age, or where you want to improve different parts of your game. So, obviously it's not going to be the exact same regimen, but I hit it the same way. It's not like, 'Ah, I didn't get enough out of this one.' At the end of the day, I'm devoted to my craft, and I think that reflects in the way I play. So, I always feel really good about coming into the year."

Q: As you approach the season, do you change your goals every year, do you change what you want to accomplish? Or is always kind of the same thing that you're working for?

Adams: "I change very specific goals. As far as a goal for me is being more efficient at the top of a comeback. It's not having 1,500 yards again. At the end of the day, I'm going to do enough right on the tape to where I'm going to get enough looks from the quarterback, and obviously my coaching staff, to where the numbers are going to be there as long as -- God willing -- I'm healthy. So, for me, it's not about the numbers and trying to hit certain numbers. It's making the tape look a certain way. And with a certain amount of looks from the quarterback, we're going to be able to make the rest of that stuff happen. But the quarterback has nothing to do with the way that I come out in my comeback, or how flat I come out of an in-cut, or if I stack the guy rather than going too wide and things like that. So, those are the goals that I focus on."

Q: You guys added a lot of receivers this offseason between Jakobi Meyers, DeAndre Carter, Tre Tucker and others. How do you think that improved depth and can help you overall?

Adams: "Obviously, we brought in some guys that know how to move, got some creativity. I like Jakobi's game a lot. DC [DeAndre Carter] coming in is going to help us as well. I don't know what these guys are going to go in and produce like, but at the end of the day, I know I like the people and it's fun working with them."

Q: What is it about Jakobi Meyers' game that you like?

Adams: "I mean, he's just a pretty savvy guy to not be super old in the league. I mean I think this is year five for him, if I'm not mistaken. That's still pretty young in his league to know how to be able to be creative with your routes, but also be on time. And there's a lot of guys that get creative and do a lot of stuff within the route, but now a quarterback's waiting on him and it's a sack, and it's not the same rhythm as when everybody else is catching the ball. So, there's a lot of things you can learn from him out there, and like I said, it's fun because these guys can do a lot, but they come in with their open book, or open vessel, rather. And it's fun to be able to teach him, but also kind of steal some things from him when we're out there on the field together."

Q: It's only day one of training camp, but those defensive backs like to get reps against you. Marcus Peters has been added. How do you think that you help those guys get better throughout training camp as well?

Adams: "I mean it’s an iron sharpens iron type game out there. I love to see those guys getting fired up because I want to see them doing the same thing when they make a play against somebody else, and I'm definitely going to turn up on them when I make those plays. I love to see that type of fire and excitement and obviously it means a lot to them, not being funny, but it means a lot to them to make a play on me in those situations. So, I've got to make sure I don't let them get it, and I don't want to kill anybody's confidence, but it's my job to not give too many opportunities for them to be out there beating on their chest."

Q: Not sure how many times you've gone up against Marcus Peters, but you look at the interception numbers and that doesn't happen by accident. From a wide receiver’s perspective, what do you see from his game that allows him to be productive in that part of the game?

Adams: "Yeah, I mean, obviously you've got to be a smart player to be able to be on defense and catch the ball as many times as he has in his career. It doesn't happen, which means it's not just going to go out there and happen again just because he's had it in the past. You've got to still come in and do the right things. But I've known Marcus for a long time. We're not family, but we've kind of got the same family. So, I've been a fan of his game for a while and being from the same area, I'm definitely rooting for him to have a great year."

Q: When you talk about coming here with those micro goals, was it always that way for you or was there a time earlier in your career when it switched?

Adams: "No, it started like that because I came in with two Pro Bowlers and I had to focus on the small things and be able to walk away from the game or practice feeling good with two targets on the day. You got to be humble when you approach this type of league because there's some big dogs out there and until you're one of them, you got to wait your turn, and for me it was just locking in. Just like when I was at Fresno and I wasn't on the field yet, it was being scout team player of the week every single week. And then that turned into scout team player of the year and that turned into a freshman All-American. And we know what happened that last year there and then after that, you got to hit that refresh button and then come in with the same mindset that you did when you were a small fish in a big pond. And get those small goals together that way you're not basing your success off of wins and losses, or just how many numbers you have because I don't really control how many times I get the ball. I control what I do with my route and my assignment every time I step up there."

The Silver and Black open the preseason by hosting the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday, Aug. 13, at 4 p.m. EDT/1 p.m. PDT.

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