March Madne s has officially extended to the NFL, where the Packers on Thursday initiated a mega-blockbuster deal to send five-time Pro Bowl and two-time All Pro receiver Davante Adams to the Raiders.The return? Vegas' first- and second-round selections in the 2022 NFL Draft. In other words, Las Vegas hit the jackpot with this deal.MORE: The mere fact Green Bay would be willing to part ways with Adams, one of the most dangerous receiving weapons in the NFL and, more importantly, quarterback Aaron Rodgers' favorite weapon, boggles the mind. That the Packers would accept the Raiders' offer is even more unbelievable.Adams' lo s hurts, but, as is often the case in such dealings, money was at the center. The Packers' Klay Thompson Jersey decision was informed by a serious salary-cap crunch. With that, The Sporting News breaks down why Green Bay traded Adams to Las Vegas:To put it simply: money.The Packers were unable to come to terms with Adams on a long-term deal, forcing Green Bay to place the franchise tag on him in 2022. Wide receivers' franchise tag value is set to be $18.42 million in 2022, though NFL rules stipulate Jordan Poole Jersey players who receive the franchise can be paid the tag value or 120 percent of his salary from the previous year, whichever is higher.For Adams, the higher value was 120 percent of his 2021 salary, a boost from $16.79 million to $20.145 million in 2022. That would have made him the second highest-paid receiver in the league, behind only DeAndre Hopkins' $27.25 million. Adams did not want to play on the franchise tag, and reports indicated that he and the Packers were not close in negotiations.The Raiders, upon agreeing to trade for Adams, signed him to a reported five-year, $141.25 million contract. Per Damion Lee Jersey Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network, the money Las Vegas will pay him was a big factor in what it offered Green Bay.Full, full compensation for the / blockbuster: Raiders get Davante Adams. Packers get a 1st and a 2nd. Adams gets a 5-year deal worth $141.25M.The money matters and is a big factor in the trade value. Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) Adams is now the highest-paid receiver in the league at $28.25 million per year and has the most lucrative deal in the history of the league for a wide receiver.For what it's worth, Rapoport on Thursday confirmed earlier reports that the relationship between Adams and the Packers was "too far gone" as the two Mychal Mulder Jersey sides worked to reach a deal.While Aaron Rodgers was negotating his contract, he knew Davante Adams would never play for the again. The situation was too far gone. Something had to give. And when Adams informed GB he wasnt playing on the tag, talks got fired up. Now, Adams will be on the . Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) The latest from and me on Davante Adams, who has informed the he wont play on the franchise tag amidst fundamental differences on a long-term deal. Tom Peli sero (@TomPeli sero) MORE: It's also worth noting that by trading Adams, the Packers' cap space improves dramatically. Placing the franchise tag on him meant Green Bay would have been roughly $50 million over the cap, nece sitating hard roster decisions (the team cut linebacker Za'Darius Smith on Monday to free up cap space for Adams).Green Bay's cap situation without Adams is much better: roughly $22 million of space, per . While certainly not ideal, the Packers can utilize that money and draft capital to build around the holdover receiving corps of Allen Lazard, Randall Cobb, Amari Rodgers and Malik Taylor.After the trade, the Packers now have two first-round and two second Kevin Durant Jersey -round picks in the 2022 NFL Draft. They received the 22nd and 53rd overall picks to accompany their own picks, the 28th and 59th overall. Related Articles