Can Tyler Lockett be the missing piece that jumpstarts the Raiders’ passing game?
That would be the best-case scenario for the Raiders, and the addition of Lockett at least gives the team a veteran option if Jakobi Meyers is traded before the November 4 deadline.
If Meyers isn’t traded, the timing of Lockett’s deal is a little peculiar and former Raider great Lincoln Kennedy talked about that dynamic this week.
“You’re reaching because you’re hoping that bringing in a player who’s familiar with your system and… might help transform this locker room. You’re trying to create a winner,” Kennedy said on the Locked on Raiders Squad Show podcast.
“You’re trying to build a team so you’re reaching for players that you’ve had history with. And I’ve said I don’t mind that. I don’t think there’s a problem with that in the early part of the season. Right now, this part of the season, I don’t know what good it is because he’s not a number one. So signing him, it’s not like you’re going to let him just retire as a Raider. You’re hoping that he can come in and be productive.”
Carroll talked about Lockett’s role this week and said he hasn’t determined exactly what that role is going to be.
“I’m going to need more days, as far as immediately [to see] how much he can help. But he’s a tremendous football player,” Carroll said on Wednesday. “He’s got great background, great savvy play-making ability, a real natural sense about understanding how to play the game.”
Geno Smith said he hopes Lockett can contribute right away but also be a mentor to the young wide receivers on the roster.
“Yeah, it’s just a good feeling to have a close friend of mine right next to me, especially when things aren’t going great, didn’t start off like we’d like to,” Smith said in his Wednesday press conference.
“Tyler is a guy who understands me and knows how to get me going. He’s a great locker room guy, great leader. He’s going to provide a ton of information for the wideouts, and especially for our young guys who are still developing and learning. And he’s also still got juice, man. He can still play. And so, there’s a lot that he brings to the table aside from him just being a good friend of mine and just having my buddy back in the locker room is pretty cool.”
Lockett turned 33 in September and caught 10 passes for 70 yards with the Tennessee Titans this year before asking for his release and being granted his release on October 20.
A practice video of Lockett surfaced this week and for some it brought back bad memories of a preseason video showing a seemingly out of shape Amari Cooper. Former Raiders O-lineman squashed that narrative, though, pointing out that the video of Lockett was only a change of direction drill to get loose before practice.
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Did Tyler Lockett play under Chip Kelly recently? If so, what system is he familiar with? Pete Carroll’s general vibe? How does that help the Raiders score more points?
Another wasted signing to bring in some more of Carroll’s lackeys. They haven’t got rid of Myers yet and bring in this has been. Who is making these decisions? If Smith can’t get Myers the ball how do they figure an older slower Lockett will help? So this is the piece of the puzzle that we’ve been missing to turn the season around.
Correct
I don’t care what they say publicly. I think Spytek and Carroll have vastly different visions for where the Raiders are. Spytek drafts BPA, utilizes positional value (with the exception of Jeanty, who was either a straight BPA bet, or a gift to Pete). He brings in a bunch of washed vets on 1 year deals, many of whom happen to be Pete guys, because he knows this isn’t a winning team yet and knows you can’t build a team via free agency…..
Meanwhile, Pete sees all these moves as winning ones. He says he’s surprised the Raiders haven’t won more this year? I don’t think Spytek is. I also think Spytek knows he’s Brady’s guy, and Carroll isn’t.
One is chasing 7 wins to make a better case to keep his job and the other is planning for the future and giving Pete his washed vets knowing it will most likely reflect worse on Pete than him.
Interesting! Way more interesting than the Raiders on the field. They’re boring as hell.
Sounds like a terrible GM/HC match! Which begs the question, Who’s idea was it to bring Pete on board? Typical of a Mark Dummy Davis decision not to think things through. Carroll seems lost, but Spytek hasn’t been acquitted himself either by getting next to nothing out of this draft class.