Raiders report: Davante Adams misses practice, but take it easy, fans

COSTA MESA, Calif. — Raiders star Davante Adams missed Friday’s practice at Jack Hammett Sports Complex.

His absence triggered online speculation of discontent and rumors of an imminent trade, but the reality was far more joyous.

Adams returned to Las Vegas in anticipation of the birth of his third child.

“We’re close enough where it could be any day, so we’ll do what we have to do if it does happen while we’re out here,” Adams said last week on the first day of training camp. “I’m waiting for that call at any point.”

Adams and his wife, Devanne, revealed on the Netflix show “Receiver” that they were expecting a boy. They also have two daughters.

The wide receiver joked that he had already removed his “Girl Dad” driver head covers from his golf clubs and replaced them with the logo of his personal brand.

“Now I’m just a dad,” he said. “It will be an adjustment, but I’m happy I had my girls first. I always wanted to have a boy first, but I’m happy I had the girls first because I think it softened me up and I’ll be a little lighter on my boy than maybe I otherwise would have. My friends don’t believe that. They think it will be the same, but I’m excited about it.”

Paving his own way

Veteran defensive tackle Adam Butler always has been fine being an unsung hero on defense, swallowing up blockers and eating double teams to free his teammates to make plays.

“This will be my eighth year, and I’ve taken pride in being the underdog who doesn’t always get the credit but always helps the team win,” he said. “But I’m really trying to change that narrative. The way I see it, it kind of limits what I could be getting from this game being the underdog all the time.”

That’s especially true come contract time. Butler thought he might be in line for a big payday in the offseason after tying career highs in tackles for loss and quarterback hits while recording five sacks and showcasing an expansion of his game into more run downs.

But he settled for another one year deal with the Raiders for $1.8 million at a time when teams are spending a lot of money at his position.

“I don’t really want to talk about contracts and all that, but my goal is to get a better one,” he said. “Let’s leave it at that. I had (five) sacks last year, and I was hoping for a better one. Now my goal is to get a better one.”

Butler said he’s pursuing that by working hard on his game and being more vocal about his abilities.

“I have a new attitude,” he said. “I want to show up (and) be seen because I still feel like I have something to prove in this league. I want to prove it to my teammates and to the coaches. I want everyone to know I’m here. I’m not going back to just (being a) third-down (guy). I’m here for the whole thing.”

Butler said he doesn’t begrudge anyone else for what they have made.

“Every dollar Maxx (Crosby) has, he’s earned. Same with Christian (Wilkins) and everyone else on this team and in the NFL,” he said.

Under the lights

The Raiders will hold their first evening practice of training camp Saturday and are expected to participate in a scrimmage.

Coach Antonio Pierce said Gardner Minshew and Aidan O’Connell will split first-team reps as they battle for the quarterback job, a plan that probably will run at least through the first preseason game.

Minshew might have taken a slim edge in the competition with a solid day Wednesday, but Pierce cautioned about reading too much into it.

“Gardner had a really good practice the other day,” he said. “He made some really good throws, good control, good in operation. I thought Aidan made some plays, too.

“But I don’t want to get caught in an emotional game. That’s like a roller-coaster ride. We look at the full body of work.”

O’Connell had his best practice of camp Friday.

Contact Adam Hill at ahill@reviewjournal.com. Follow @AdamHillLVRJ on X.