Derek Carr will have an opportunity to throw to arguably the best wide receiver in the NFL this season, and the quarterback admits that he openly campaigned to be reunited with his former teammate. Carr says he was relentless in trying to find a way to get Adams to the Las Vegas Raiders.
In a lengthy feature that was published on Tuesday, Carr told ESPN’s Tim Keown that he was “egregious” with his attempts to recruit Adams. He said he called Adams, who was set to become a free agent, after the Raiders lost to the Cincinnati Bengals in the playoffs. Adams at the time was preparing for the Green Bay Packers’ NFC Divisional Round game against the San Francisco 49ers.
“Hey, whenever you’re ready, I’m ready,” Carr recalled telling Adams. “Let’s figure this thing out.”
Adams remembers the call, too. He told Keown that he knew what Carr was calling about as soon as the quarterback’s name came up on Adams’ phone.
The Niners defeated the Packers, which left Adams contemplating his future. The Packers later placed the franchise tag on him. He says he did not “orchestrate” any trade to Las Vegas, though it was obvious that he wanted to play there.
Carr continued to pester his former Fresno State teammate for the next two months. He was thrilled when the Raiders and Packers struck a deal.
“The coolest part wasn’t the football part; it was that I got my friend back,” Carr said. “I think that’s the coolest part.”
For what it’s worth, the NFL’s tampering rules do not extend to players. Even if Packers fans will be unhappy to hear how hard Carr recruited one of their best players, no rules were broken.
One ESPN analyst made a very bold prediction recently about what Adams’ presence will mean to the Raiders. You can understand why Carr is excited. Now, he and Adams have to prove the massive investment was worthwhile for the Raiders.
