A revamped wide receiver corps and an excellent tight end group has the Las Vegas Raiders offense plowing full speed ahead.
Raiders general manager Mike Mayock and head coach Jon Gruden decided to do something about one of their biggest weaknesses. Thanks to calculated drafting decisions and free-agent acquisitions, the Raiders receiving game is doing great. From top to bottom, the current group has speed, youth, reliability, and experience. The team drafted Henry Ruggs III and Bryan Edwards but also signed veteran Nelson Agholor. Darren Waller proved to be a revelation as a tight end in 2019, to complement him, the team brought in future Hall of Famer, Jason Witten.
All around, this unit is performing up to expectations despite injuries to both Ruggs and Edwards. As for quarterback Derek Carr, he is the one who is reaping the benefits of such improvements. The speed of this wide receiver group has allowed him to be a more aggressive passer downfield and he has a nice security blanket in his tight ends.
Related: WR Henry Ruggs III Has Taken The Silver and Black Offense To New Heights
The Raiders will be in great shape coming out of the bye
Even with Edwards not playing, the Raiders have plenty of depth at wide receiver. Agholor has resurrected his career as a receiving threat with Carr throwing to him. Hunter Renfrow has been just as reliable as he was in 2019, developing into one of the team’s go-to options on third down.
When Ruggs went down with his injury, Carr relied on Waller and co. but also allowed others to shine. Thus, he showed off how much depth the Raiders have now, a far cry from 2019. The key will be health now that the team prepares for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. We all saw the offense take a step back without Ruggs in the lineup, that is still concerning. Gruden can always rely on running back Josh Jacobs but what will happen if defenses shut down the running game? Can Carr maintain his recent aggressive play and continue to build chemistry with these receivers? Their Week 5 victory definitely showed there is something special brewing in Las Vegas for 2020.
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*Top Photo: Charlie Riedel/Associated Press