As Davante Adams began his first Rams training camp, star receiver Puka Nacua tried to be cool, calm and collected.
Nacua, a third-year pro, was eager to put aside his seniority with the Rams. The ascending star wanted to step back and allow Adams — a three-time All-Pro — to lead the way and go first in receiver drills.
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But when he approached Adams, Nacua’s nerves apparently shone through.
“He was saying it almost like he’d been wanting to say it for a long time,” said Adams, who signed with the Rams in March, “but he didn’t really know how to say that.”
The situation demanded it, Nacua said.
Rams wide receiver Davante Adams, left, talks to Rams coach Sean McVay during training camp. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
“There is a respect for him to come in saying, ‘I don’t want to push you out of the way or take your spot and be like, Oh, I should be up there No. 1,’” Nacua said. “But it’s something that I have a huge amount of respect for his game.”
The request also came with a not-so-hidden bonus.
“When I was in the front, I’m trying to sprint as fast as I can so I can turn around and watch him,” Nacua said, laughing. “So, I was like, ‘Hey, I think it’ll make my job a little bit easier if you just go first.’ … There’s nothing better than seeing him with my own two eyes.”
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Adams, 32, has been wowing teammates, coaches and fans with skills honed during 11 NFL seasons. The 6-foot 1, 215-pound Adams has amassed 1,000 yards receiving in a season seven times, including the last six in a row.
The Rams pursued Adams to replace Cooper Kupp, who was released three days after they agreed to terms with Adams. The two-year deal includes $25 million in guarantees, according to Overthecap.com.
Adams, who has played for the Green Bay Packers, Las Vegas Raiders and New York Jets, said during offseason workouts that he felt rejuvenated with the Rams and their “college-type camaraderie.” He has enjoyed the way coach Sean McVay — “the mastermind,” Adams said — has conducted camp.
“Well, the ‘masterminds’ because it’s a lot of people involved,” Adams said, “but it’s just been fun.
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“The best part for me is just getting to know the guys and hanging out with them every day.”
Rams coach Sean McVay chats with wide receiver Davante Adams, left, as wide receiver Puka Nacua walks by during training camp at Loyola Marymount University. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
It did not take long for Adams to make an impression with his new teammates.
In April, on the first day of offseason workouts, receivers coach Eric Yarber stood before his assembled charges and gave them an impassioned speech.
“I want to get this out of the way,” Yarber began. “All you guys who were here last year, you learned from Cooper Kupp, one of the best slots ever.
“And now you’re about to learn from a future Hall of Famer. You better pick his brain as much as you can while he’s here because I’m going to do the same thing.”
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Adams thanked Yarber for the welcome, and then delivered a message.
“He said, ‘You guys are going to learn a lot from me, but don’t think that I can’t learn anything from ya’ll,’” second-year receiver Jordan Whittington said. “He made that very clear.”
Adams is part of a receiver corps that includes Nacua, Whittington, veteran Tutu Atwell — who signed a one-year $10-million contract — Xavier Smith and rookie Konata Mumpfield.
Veteran quarterback Matthew Stafford has yet to practice during training because of a back issue. But Stafford said in Maui at the end of offseason workouts that Adams was a “seamless fit” for the offense.
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With Stafford sidelined, Adams has worked mainly with veteran backup Jimmy Garoppolo. The two were teammates with the Raiders in 2023.
“He brought over the same swagger he had in Las Vegas, man,” Garoppolo said “He’s a confident dude.”
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Yarber is in his ninth season on McVay’s staff. During his tenure, he coached Kupp, Nacua, Sammy Watkins, Robert Woods and DeSean Jackson, among others.
Adams brings experience and a one-of-a-kind skill set.
“He’s a bigger receiver that has the feet of a little man,” Yarber said. “I mean, he’s cat-quick, he’s got great change of direction, great catch radius and a great feel for the game.”
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What separates Adams from other receivers is his ability to separate from defensive backs and create space. At the line of scrimmage and while running routes against complex coverages.
“Separation is a big thing that I wanted to work on, and now I’ve got one of the ultimate separators ever,” Whittington said. “So having him in the film room sharing that type of information and then just watching him go out there and dominate, it’s truly a blessing.”
Nacua feels the same.
Adams said he dispenses advice to Nacua when appropriate.
“I’m not a walking wise man where I’m just trying to drop little trinkets on him all day, but it’s more whenever it comes up,” Adams said of dissecting double-coverage and other schemes. “That part is actually like some of the most enjoyable parts of this thing for me, the cerebral game.”
Rams wide receiver Davante Adams catches a pass during training camp. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
Adams’ influence on Nacua has been obvious to McVay.
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During a team meeting, the ninth-year coach complimented Nacua on a play, and then asked what he was thinking while running his route. Nacua referenced Adams and a tip he had offered.
“When you have guys that are doing that for each other, that’s special stuff,” McVay said, adding, “when you have teammates that are pushing one another, when there’s that mutual respect that exists and that appropriate humility, a lot of good things can follow.”
The Rams hope so.
If Stafford is physically sound, a passing attack featuring Adams and Nacua could help make the Rams a Super Bowl contender.
Adams acknowledged that while all that glitters is not gold, the Rams’ foundation under McVay and their personnel and mindset give them an opportunity to be a championship-caliber team.
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“This is looking pretty golden over here,” he said.
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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
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