“We know that they played together,” Johnson said of the Rodgers-Adams connection. “Yeah, I mean I think anybody would be interested. He adds to the running game, he opens up everything. Particularly having that relationship with the quarterback, it’s very important.”
Even amid the tumult, the Jets’ aspirations of salvaging the season seemed to have improved with Adams’ arrival.
“Salvageable? We’re going to kick … you can fill the word in,” Johnson said, adding “changing the status quo is killer.”
The most interesting wrinkle will likely be working Adams in alongside third-year wideout Garrett Wilson, the closest thing the WR corps had to an alpha, one who might be required to slide into a definitive No. 2 role given Adams’ résumé with Rodgers.
Outside of the room’s new big two, Allen Lazard, another Rodgers favorite and ex-Packer, might be used even more as a blocker now — a strength of his — while Mike Williams will benefit from two certified playmakers drawing major attention as he continues to try to get right coming off his ACL tear.
Adams’ addition should presumably be a boon to the running game, too, forcing defenses to split resources between stopping yet another dangerous Gang Green pass catcher or slowing the backfield tandem of Breece Hall and Braelon Allen.
Such a blockbuster trade, an all-in move by a Jets team looking to capitalize on whatever magic the 40-year-old Rodgers has left to give, was made possible by things going south for Adams and the Raiders in what turned out to be a slow but foreseeable dissolution of a marriage once so promising.
Prior to heading east, Adams said farewell to the Raiders players, coaches and fans in a social media statement.
“Raider Nation has and will always be part of my family,” Adams wrote, in part.
