There were rumors Davante Adams preferred to be back on the West Coast when he hit free agency for the first time in his career. His introductory press conference Thursday suggested the Bay Area native is already feeling at home in Southern California.
Adams, who grew up roughly 355 miles north of Los Angeles, wore a Los Angeles Dodgers cap at his first press conference since signing a two-year contract with the Rams.
“Being from California, coming back, being really close to home, having my family in my backyard and a lot of friends that are in the area … having my support system,” Adams said. “My family and friends mean a lot to me, so being able to have them have easy access to me out here, it’s a good feeling for me just knowing I get to have that support, keep it real tight and stay close to family.”
Adams revealed that Rams head coach Sean McVay’s pursuit of him entailed a detailed recruiting pitch.
“He sent me a couple highlight tapes of myself, narrating,” Adams said of McVay. “You know how he is with ball, so he’s breaking down every single clip. The first one was like seven minutes and then he sent another one that was probably another two minutes where he’s just going through everything and talking about it. … It just shows how much ball means to him and how much of a priority I was for him”
McVay aggressively recruited Adams while the wide receiver was on vacation in Japan with friends. The 32-year-old is essentially replacing longtime Rams wide receiver Cooper Kupp. While Kupp ranks third in Rams franchise history in receptions (634) and receiving touchdowns (57), Adams has generally been the superior wide receiver, especially at this point in their respective careers.
Adams’ career statistics include 957 receptions, 11,844 yards and 103 touchdowns. But he also operates effectively in the slot (where Kupp starred for the Rams) and on the outside. Adams lined up in the slot 361 times and played on the outside 431 times last season.
McVay’s visualized Adams’ fit in the Rams’ offense for a while. The two met while Adams was with the Green Bay Packers.
“We already connected in 2019 at the Derby out in Kentucky,” Adams said. “He was just like, ‘Look man, I have a lot of respect for your game and it’d be amazing at some point to be able to team up, join forces and figure it out together on the same team.’ At that point, you’re on a different team so you’re like, ‘Yeah, it’d be cool one day.’ But to have it be a real thing now and him to have the opportunity to make sure that it didn’t slip away because he certainly made sure it did not slip away, that was something that drew me kind of even closer to the Rams just knowing how much I was wanted.”
Adams and Puka Nacua, who graciously gave Adams his No. 17 jersey number upon Adams’ arrival, could instantly form one of the best receiving duos in the league. Adams was USA TODAY Sports’ top free agent when he was officially released by the New York Jets. He’s still a standout wide receiver even on the other side of 30 years old. That’s why McVay sent Adams almost 10 minutes worth of narrated highlight tape to lure the wide receiver. And now Adams is in Los Angeles sporting a Dodgers cap.