The Los Angeles Rams had one of the splashiest signings of free agency when they agreed to terms with former New York Jets wide receiver Davante Adams. Even at 32 years old, it’s not very often that a wide receiver of Adams’ caliber becomes available. That’s why when the opportunity arises to bring that player aboard, it’s important to take advantage of it. Bringing Adams to Los Angeles was the type of “all-in” move that the Rams needed heading into 2025.
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These are the types of moves that have become the norm since the Rams came to Los Angeles. They’ve consistently been able to attract the big stars such as Adams and Sean McVay’s persuasion certainly didn’t hurt.
While free agency grades don’t mean a lot, ESPN’s Seth Walder graded the signing as an “A”. Said Walder,
“The evidence is there that he’s still a very good receiver. And in my view, he is a value at the price Los Angeles paid. Even in his down 2024 season, Adams averaged 2.1 yards per route run. That’s still pretty good. The advanced metrics suggest a similar story. His open score was 77 last season, down from a peak of 99 in 2020 but still well above average. Now put that player in a Sean McVay offense in which he can be the No. 2 option behind an exceptional Nacua, and there’s a world where this could really work out, at least for a year. It makes all the sense in the world for the Rams, running it back with quarterback Matthew Stafford for another year with great offensive playmakers and an exceptional defensive line in place. I think the $23 million per year for Adams is going to age very well over the next couple of weeks.”
With an aging wide receiver, there is always concern over a decline. However, there is enough evidence to suggest that Adams is still a very good wide receiver. Even if Adams does fall from his peak, it was a very high peak. If the Rams only get Adams at 80 percent, that’s still a top-25 wide receiver in the NFL which is more than good enough to complement Puka Nacua for a year.
Walder wasn’t the only ESPN analyst to like the Rams signing Adams. ESPN asked its 10 NFL experts on free agency and two of them listed the Rams signing of Adams as the best move. Said ESPN’s Matt Bowen,
“He’s an upgrade over Cooper Kupp on his new two-year deal, as Adams can get loose against press coverage and create separation to the ball. Opposite Puka Nacua, Adams can win one-on-one as the “X” receiver, plus he will be schemed to attack zone voids off motion and in play-action. This is a really good fit for Sean McVay’s offense.”
Former Rams beat writer and now national NFL reporter Lindsey Thiry added,
“After retaining Matthew Stafford with a reworked contract, the addition of Adams provides Stafford a 1-2 punch along with Nacua. For a team that missed the NFC Championship Game by a mere play last season, the addition of Adams should be enough to help bring another deep playoff run.”
The Rams were never going to use Matthew Stafford as a bridge quarterback into the next era. If that was the case, they likely would have opted to move forward with Jimmy Garoppolo or tried to sign Aaron Rodgers. As long as Stafford is the quarterback for the Rams, they are going to push for titles.
Coming out of a reset, the Rams set themselves up well to push for another Super Bowl in 2025 and 2026. For the first time in what feels like a few years, the Rams had money to spend this offseason and chose to spend a lot of it on Adams. They will have cap space next year as well as Stafford enters the final year of his deal.
There’s always the chance that the Adams move turns into a disaster and he doesn’t perform. However, the fit seems right as Adams returns to an offensive style that made him one of the best wide receivers in the NFL. Even if it does go sideways, it’s also not the Allen Robinson deal where the Rams would have to eat a lot of dead money.
The best thing for Adams will be to take part in the offseason program and build a chemistry with Stafford. When Stafford has been the quarterback of the Rams, the offense has looked at its best when there are multiple receiving threats. If Adams and Stafford can get on the same page, it’s hard to see this signing not having success.
