why Davonte Adams is good…update, must read: Matt Bowen on Adams

ESPN NFL analyst Matt Bowen explains what Davante Adams brings to Rams offense

Stu Jackson

https://www.therams.com/news/espn-nfl-analyst-matt-bowen-explains-what-davante-adams-brings-to-rams-offense

The Rams have always prized receivers with aggressive hands who remain grounded through the catch, and Davante Adams’ physical traits and overall skill set fit that mold.

But there’s more to that fit than just those things.

Adams is 32 years old, but “he’s not in a rapid decline,” according to ESPN NFL analyst Matt Bowen. The lower-body quickness is still there, and he’s still separating at the same rate. That ability to create separation, especially at the top of his routes, combined with a high-velocity thrower like Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford, stands out to Bowen.

“He is a complete pro when you’re talking about someone who plays the wide receiver position,” Bowen told theRams.com in a recent phone interview. “That’s a veteran player who has savviness, has detail to his overall game, not just his route-running ability, his overall game. His football IQ is extremely high-level. What he can do in terms of playing the position of wide receiver, he’s still one of the top players in the league at beating press coverage and getting free off the line of scrimmage, which is a critical part of playing that position, because more and more teams in the NFL want to play man coverage. Why? Because they can disrupt timing. They can challenge wide receivers and then make it hard to throw underneath rounds. So having a player like Davante Adams, who still has the lower-body quickness, is very critical to playing that position.”

Here’s a closer look at Adams’ skillset, and his potential influence on scheme and personnel, from Bowen’s perspective.

Skillset

Bowen expects the Adams to be the Rams’ “X” receiver. Within that role, Adams’ ability to beat press coverage and separate at the top of the route is particularly important for the isolation routes that are a staple of the Sean McVay offense, whether that be the quick-game and underneath stuff or the deep outs and comebacks that Stafford likes to throw.

Bowen also said Adams can stretch the field both vertically and horizontally.

“And then when you want to scheme him open, what have we seen consistently with Sean McVay’s offense? Those deep in-breaking throws where there’s going to be a window there, Stafford has to anticipate it,” Bowen said. “We know he can, and that Davante Adams can get to that window. Put that combination together, that’s a receiver who can be very productive in this offense. And the last part of this is what he can do inside the plus-20 yard line, really the plus-10 yard line, (what) I call the low red zone. That’s, again, isolation throws. Will Sean McVay get him some free access off the ball? Sure. He’ll use the motion like we’ve seen with Puka (Nacua) and with Cooper Kupp in the past, to get that free access off the ball. But (if) you want to win one-on-one in red zone, this a really good player to have in your lineup.”

At the same time, Adams also offers positional versatility – meaning, the ability to also play either the slot or the “Z” receiver position as well – in terms how the Rams want to create matchups.

Scheme and personnel impact

According to Next Gen Stats, Adams has the most touchdowns out of condensed formations in the NFL since 2020 with 19. The Rams’ 60.7% usage rate of condensed formations last season was highest in the league.

Couple that with Los Angeles’ use of motion, and it will naturally allow the Rams to marry one of Adams’ best traits with their offense.

“In terms of what they do schematically, from condensed or reduced sets, a lot of motion and movement, and a lot of play-action, that’s going to create those zone voids,” Bowen explained. “When you have a player like Davante Adams, remember we said that high football IQ, he knows where to find open grass, he knows when to settle a route down, he knows when to extend a route across the field. He understands the depth of linebackers, the coverage rotation at the safety position. He can find those pockets of open grass or open turf for Matthew Stafford.”

Adams’ ability to recognize those voids and overall football IQ pairs nicely with Nacua’s. According to Pro Football Focus data, Nacua averaged the most yards per route run against zone coverage, and seventh-most against man among wide receivers.

Having two receivers like that will change the Rams’ offense the most when it comes to critical down-and-distance situations – think 3rd-and-7 to 3rd-and-10 – especially having a receiver like Adams who can win matchups in those scenarios. Per Next Gen Stats, the Rams – who ran pass plays on nearly 80 percent of 3rd-and-7 or longer situations – averaged the second-fewest yards per game in those situations, and their -0.44 Expected Points Added (EPA) per pass play in those situations was sixth-worst. EPA measures the value of each play in terms of how much it contributes to the offense’s likelihood of scoring, so a negative EPA in third-and-long means that negatively contributed to the Rams’ likelihood of scoring.

“Third-and-seven to 10 is hard because, from a defensive perspective, we know what you have to run, right? There’s only so many things you can do, only so many routes you can run. You got to get past the sticks, correct?” Bowen said. “… Those are the situations you have to win. When you win third-and-seven to 10, you’re going to be a prolific offense, you’re going to score a lot of points, and I think that’s where Davante Adams will really come into play this season, is those third-and-two to six, and especially third-and-seven to 10, where he can separate, when he can beat coverage, when he can make a play in a tight-window throw, when he can high-point the football on a 50-50 throw, where he can make those plays for you, I think that’s a critical part of what he can bring to the offense.”