The Raiders’ team meeting took a unique turn Thursday when head coach Josh McDaniels offered the opportunity for the players to take the floor.
Ahead of the team’s “Monday Night Football” matchup against the Lions in Detroit, Raiders players had the opportunity “to voice the frustrations that at times have bubbled over publicly” amid a disappointing 3-4 campaign thus far, according to NFL.com.
Players from all across the roster voiced their opinions, including wide receiver Davante Adams, defensive end Maxx Crosby and running back Josh Jacobs, with many finding the opportunity to be “cathartic.”
The meeting also transpired days before the NFL trade deadline on Oct. 31.
Las Vegas has received trade calls about wide receiver Hunter Renfrow, but no deal is close, per the report.
The team also fielded calls regarding Adams and Crosby — both of whom would likely require big trade compensation — but the Raiders have declined to make any moves for them.
Adams previously expressed his frustration about the Raiders’ offense and his lack of targets in recent games against the Packers and Patriots.
“I’m sure people are thinking: ‘They won the game, why is there an issue?’ I mean, you see why it’s an issue. Y’all should know who I am, know what I’m about at this point … when you’re a player like me, mentally, my benchmark is not wins and losses — it’s greatness. So when I go out there, I expect to be able to have that ability to put that on tape and have an influence on the game. That’s my purpose for being here. I’m not here just to hang out; I came here to win and to do it the right way,” Adams said.
During an interview Friday on “The Rich Eisen Show,” Adams said: “I will say this: I am happy to be a Raider 100 percent. … Winning makes everything much more fun, so we’ve just got to do more of that.”
In addition to a Week 8 clash against the Lions, the Raiders are entering a critical stretch of games that includes the Giants, Jets and Dolphins followed by the Chiefs.
A Week 7 loss to the Bears unraveled the Raiders’ two-game winning streak, causing them to drop three games behind first-place Kansas City in the AFC West standings.
However, the Raiders remain only one game back of a wild-card spot with 10 games to go.
