Why Davante Adams may be a great signing, and what the Rams face in making it so

Con 4: Many fans wonder if this is Allen Robinson 2.0

The LA Rams lost OLB Von Miller to the Buffalo Bills after winning Super Bowl LVI. After amassing a fund to sign him, the team had not Plan B option left to shore up the teams pass rush. And so, the team pivoted to a rather accomplished wide receiver named Allen Robinson. Robinson was a physical receiver, a player who had a series of solid years. And the Rams were moving on from veteran wide receiver Robert Woods.

It seemed like a match made in heaven. But . . . it wasn't. You see, upon close inspection, Allen Robinson succeeded elsewhere because he was targeted so frequently. He was targeted over 150 times four times in his career. When that happened, he averaged 1,170 receiving yards and just over eight touchdowns. When he played for the Rams, he was only targeted 52 times.

The problem may seem like nothing, but is this deja vu all over again? Since 2016, Davante Adams has averaged nearly 150 targets per season. There is no way that the Rams offense can be expected to sustain that level of usage in this offense, particularly if he is not a reliable blocker. And so, have the Rams committed to him to become the top wide receiver in this offense already?

Since winning Super Bowl LVI, Cooper Kupp has been limited in terms of availability, but has averaged just under 96 targets per season. Third-year wide receiver Puka Nacua has averaged 133 targets per season in the past two years. So either the Rams offense has to plan on rerouting 150 passes to Davante Adams in each of the next two seasons to justify his lofty contract, or expectation for Adams are already way too high.

The Rams need to add a young elite wide receiver is off the board in terms of draft needs.

But is this plan sound? If the Rams do not keep up Adams thirst for targets, he fails at putting up his 1000+ receiving yards. But if the team does sustain that heavy usage, does the offense become more dangerous, or simply more predictable? I don't have the answer for you just yet, but the risk accompanies the reward in this situation.

Con 3: He triggered Jimmy Garoppolo's benching with the Raiders

Is it purely competitive spirit or ill-tempered diva that compels a receiver to lash out at his quarterback if and when the offense struggles. The Rams have not shied away form that level of conflict in the past. After all, the team signed wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. after his unceremonious release from the Cleveland Browns. If you recall, OBJ was frustrated with then QB Baker Mayfield.

The Rams signed Baker Mayfield to become the team's emergency backup quarterback the following season. But Odell Beckham Jr. was a free agent by then. And so, the Rams aligned with both sides of that dispute, but nothing was made of it.

WR Davante Adams feud with then QB Jimmy Garoppolo in the Las Vegas Raiders made NFL headlines in 2023. It was that ire and vitriol from Adams that ultimately led to Jimmy G's benching on the Raiders. Once benched, the Raiders were painted into a corner, and were forced to release Garoppolo at the end of the season.

That was bad for the Raiders, good for the Rams. You see, the Rams signed Jimmy Garoppolo to be the team's veteran backup quarterback for 2024. And by all accounts, the Rams coaching staff loved his work-ethic, upbeat outlook, and ability to run the scout team flawlessly.

But with the addition of Davante Adams, and the expiration of Jimmy Garoppolo's one-year contract, is there any chance that the Rams would knowingly and deliberately place this ongoing feud into their own locker room? I don't see how that is possible. In short, Adams arrival almost certainly signals the departure of Jimmy Garoppolo.