The Raider offense has not been making the most encouraging headlines in recent weeks, but according to Sports Illustrated insider Hondo Carpenter, a veteran receiver has been one of the standouts of training camp.
Last week, Hondo called Jakobi Meyers the best offensive player in camp, and this week he doubled down on that statement.
”Someone [asked] me, [if I have] ever seen a wide receiver have as good of a camp as Jakobi has this year and I’ve only seen one. Calvin Johnson,” Hondo said on the Las Vegas Raiders Insider podcast.
“I remember there was a camp with Calvin Johnson where anything that came his direction, he caught,” Hondo continued. “And that’s [been] Jakobi [this year]. I know he’s different. He’s not the same kind of receiver. I’m not saying he’s Calvin Johnson, but what I am saying is he’s performing at a level like that.”
It will be interesting to see how Meyers fits into the offense this year as the Raiders are expected to lean heavily on the running game and Davante Adams is still one of the best receivers in the league.
At a minimum, it sounds like Meyers will be up to the task of making opposing defenses pay for double-teaming Adams.
As far as who will be throwing the ball to Meyers and company, head coach Antonio Pierce would like to make a decision on his starting quarterback after Saturday’s game against the Cowboys.
Raiders radio host ‘JT the Brick’ talked about the quarterback competition on Thursday and it’s beginning to feel like Aidan O’Connell is going to be the starter unless Gardner Minshew does something spectacular against the Cowboys.
Like last week, O’Connell and Minshew will probably each get a quarter of playing time and that could be the last we will see of the starting quarterback, whoever it happens to be, until the first week of the regular season.
The Raiders and Cowboys will be televised on NFL Network at 10:00 PM EST on Saturday.
x: @raidersbeat