The Raiders are heading into an offseason with a lot of uncertainty and all eyes in the coming months will be on the quarterback position in Las Vegas
For now, Aidan O’Connell will be at the top of the depth chart and Sam Darnold is considered by most to be the Raiders’ best quarterback option in free agency.
Once the quarterback position is resolved, it sounds like the Raiders also want to address the wide receiver room.
According to The Athletic’s Vic Tafur, the decision makers in Las Vegas don’t believe there is a no. 1 wide receiver on the roster as it stands in the first week of March.
“The Raiders feel Jakobi Meyers is a good No. 2 option and that Tre Tucker is a solid No. 3 receiver, but they’re lacking a true No. 1 wideout,” Tafur reported over the weekend.
“Depending on whether the Cincinnati Bengals franchise tag receiver Tee Higgins, sign him to an extension or let him test the open market, he’d be the top veteran option,” Tafur continued. “There are other quality receivers such as Cooper Kupp and Stefon Diggs who are available, but they aren’t ‘X’ receivers who possess the size, speed and separation skills to thrive when primarily lined up outside. Perhaps the Raiders could find a player in that mold for cheap in the draft, but those are hard to come by.”
Higgins is the free agent wide receiver everyone is talking about, but Chris Godwin might be another option that makes sense for the Raiders. Godwin turned 29 last month and could easily fill the void at ‘X’ receiver in Vegas. He also has a history with Tom Brady in Tampa Bay.
As for the potential trade options, one name that has been floating around is Seattle’s DK Metcalf. Head coach Pete Carroll knows Metcalf from their time together in Seattle, but for now, it sounds like it might be a challenge to pry Metcalf away from the Seahawks.
“It doesn’t sound likely the Seattle Seahawks would make wideout DK Metcalf available in a trade,” The Athletic’s Jeff Howe reported on Monday.
“Metcalf is entering the final season of his three-year, $72 million pact, so there’s been speculation he could be dealt. But the Seahawks have had a winning record in three consecutive seasons, albeit with an 0-1 mark in the playoffs during that stretch,” Howe continued. “It doesn’t make sense to trim one of their best players. Now, things could always change during contract negotiations. But, at the moment, the New England Patriots and others who are trying to get creative at wideout will have to focus their attention elsewhere.”
If the Raiders decide to prioritize the wide receiver position in the draft, there is one clear and obvious name at the top of the list.
Arizona WR Tetairoa McMillan checks every box and has been compared to some of the most dynamic wide receivers to enter the draft in recent years. The Raiders could go in a lot of directions with the no. 6 pick in the draft, but McMillan should be on the board, and he could be part of a tandem with Brock Bowers that ends up being one of the most dynamic in the league.
Another wide receiver that made a strong impression at the NFL Combine last week was Texas WR Matthew Golden.
At 5’11, Golden doesn’t have the size of McMillan, but his 4.29 forty time turned a lot of heads over the weekend.
Some left Indianapolis believing Golden could be the first wide receiver taken in the draft, but if it comes down to the Raiders, McMillan will make a lot more sense based on what they are believed to be looking for at the position.
x: @raidersbeat
I’m good with McMillan at 6 if that’s what we do.
I not down with $20+ million on a receiver in free agency. We need to spend the cap wisely.
Mcmillan 1st
QB – 2nd
RB – 3rd
OL – 3rd
protect O’Connell, he’s accurate but needs protection and a great O-Line paired with great RB
Bowers, Meyers, and McMillan would be a strong receiving corp, but only if they upgrade their porous OL. Hopefully they remember how bad the OL was last season.
Mekhi Becton in free agency is a must.
If I have to watch another snap of Parham getting his **** pushed in I will break my TV.