Raiders duo Jimmy Garoppolo, Davante Adams look to build chemistry in camp

Eric Williams

NFC West Writer

As the Las Vegas Raiders open training camp, All-Pro receiver Davante Adams is going from a quarterback he played with in college and the NFL in Derek Carr to someone he’s never caught a pass from in Jimmy Garoppolo.

After his time with Carr at Fresno State, Adams paired with Aaron Rodgers for eight seasons in Green Bay, forming one of the most lethal quarterback-receiver duos in the NFL. So it’s understandable that Adams is looking forward to getting some reps and building a rapport with Garoppolo, now that he has passed his physical and is cleared to play after offseason foot surgery.

“I’m excited, man,” Adams told the NFL Network this week. “I’m optimistic. Obviously, getting him out there healthy is the main thing, so we can start working toward a common goal and getting on the same page.

“Having A-Rod when I first got [to Green Bay], we definitely left in a different place than when I first got there. Those reps and that time together is really what takes you to the next level. We’re obviously going to need that camp as much as possible, so we can learn each other. And then get out there and hopefully make some noise.”

Adams and Rodgers developed a seamless chemistry playing together in Green Bay. The two combined for 622 catches for 7,590 yards and 69 touchdowns in 108 games played. Then in his first season with the Raiders, Adams finished with 100 receptions for 1,516 receiving yards and 14 touchdowns, earning All-Pro honors for the third straight year.

Garoppolo and Adams have a long way to go to match the cohesion and chemistry Rodgers and Adams displayed with the Packers. Garoppolo signed a three-year, $72.75 million contract with Las Vegas during free agency in March. However, after the Raiders discovered a lingering left foot injury during Garoppolo’s physical, Las Vegas converted a $22.5 million signing bonus to base salary as a way to protect the team.

The clause, titled Addendum G, specified that Garoppolo wouldn’t have been able to sign his deal without a waiver because of the injury he suffered in December while playing for the San Francisco 49ers. That injury did not properly heal and wound up requiring surgery. But Garoppolo has passed his physical and is expected to be on the field when the Raiders start training camp this week.

As he gets back into playing shape, Garoppolo will also need to work on is his vertical passing game, something the Raiders have been known for over the years with field-stretchers like Cliff Branch. Adams continued that tradition last season, catching 10 touchdowns (No. 1 in the NFL) and amassing 547 yards (No. 5 in the NFL) on vertical routes, according to Next Gen Stats.

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Garoppolo targeted vertical routes just 14% of the time last season. Meanwhile, he targeted in-breaking routes on 46.8% of his attempts, the most in the NFL. Per Next Gen Stats, the 31-year-old QB has totaled 63% of his passing yards after the catch since has been in the league, the most in the NFL. He understands how to get the ball quickly into his playmakers’ hands in a place where they can run after the catch.

Adams can run the full route tree, so look for second-year Raiders coach Josh McDaniels to tailor his offense to Garoppolo’s unique skill set based on the time the two spent together in New England.

As for the Raiders’ running game, it could be hampered if top-tier back Josh Jacobs holds out of camp after not getting a long-term deal. Jacobs led the NFL in rushing (1,653) and total yards from scrimmage (2,053) in 2022, earning first-team All-Pro honors. He has not signed his franchise tag and reportedly left Las Vegas on Monday, the day before camp opened.

According to Next Gen Stats, Garoppolo has completed 71.3% of his passes since 2019 on play-action. The Raiders do not have a playmaker in the running back room who comes close to matching the talent of Jacobs, so to reach their full potential as an offense, he needs to be on the field.

On Tuesday, the New York Giants reached an agreement with running back Saquon Barkley that will pay him $11 million for the 2023 season, giving him a slight raise from the $10.1 million franchise tag value for running backs. Perhaps that will move the needle for the Raiders and Jacobs.

If not, even more pressure will be put on Garoppolo, whom Vikings QB Kirk Cousins recently called the most underrated quarterback in the NFL.

“I kind of always scratch my head at the Jimmy Garoppolo situation in San Francisco, because I know how hard it is to win in this league,” Cousins said on Netflix’s “Quarterback” series. “And it seems like every time he goes out there, they win. And then, they’re moving on from him and trying to draft somebody and trade up, and I’m thinking, ‘It’s pretty hard to win double-digit games in this league and that’s all they seem to do when he plays.’ So obviously I don’t know all that goes on there, but if he does it again with the Raiders, at some point this guy’s just a winner.”

Garoppolo helped San Francisco reach the Super Bowl and two NFC title games during his tenure. The 49ers were 42-19 (including postseason) in games the Eastern Illinois product started and 16-30 when he was not on the field.

Now that he’s healthy, Garoppolo will get a chance to prove his true worth by efficiently running the offense, helping Las Vegas challenge the Kansas City Chiefs for NFC West supremacy and staying out of the training room.

Eric D. Williams has reported on the NFL for more than a decade, covering the Los Angeles Rams for Sports Illustrated, the Los Angeles Chargers for ESPN and the Seattle Seahawks for the Tacoma News Tribune. Follow him on Twitter at @eric_d_williams.

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