One thing is for certain: the Las Vegas Raiders’ offense will look a lot different in 2022 than it did in 2021. Last year, the offense was impressive, but there were some glaring weaknesses that held the team back. Las Vegas could still use some help in a couple of areas, and here are a few players the Raiders should sign to do just that.
Raiders free agency: who should they target on offense?
Trey Hopkins, Guard
One of the positions the Raiders struggled with the most last year was the offensive line. A combination of injuries, penalties, and poor play in general really held Las Vegas back throughout the year.
The new Raiders’ regime hasn’t done much to address the issue, besides two linemen being drafted. It’s unlikely the Raiders will land a star lineman in the future, so perhaps the best way to fix the issue is through depth, and the Raiders should sign Trey Hopkins to help fix that.
Hopkins isn’t a star by any means, but he was a solid contributor for the AFC Championship-winning Cincinnati Bengals. Trey is also able to play both guard positions and center, so he’ll bring some depth and flexibility to the unit in general. Hopkins would be a cheap, extremely low-risk signing that could pay off for the Silver and Black down the road.
Dede Westbrook, Wide Receiver
Yes, the Raiders do have several talented wide receivers on their roster. With names like Davante Adams, Hunter Renfrow, and Demarcus Robinson, the Raiders obviously aren’t in need of a big-name guy.
Still, we saw what happened last year when the receiving corps got hit with a multitude of issues. Zay Jones had a great year, and some other guys stepped up when needed, but the offense would have been much better off with some more proven weapons.
That’s where Dede Westbrook comes in. Dede had a couple of solid years in Jacksonville before tearing his ACL in the 2020 season. He’s struggled to find playing time since, and still remains unsigned. He shouldn’t break the bank, and he definitely won’t get a ton of targets, but Westbrook would be an excellent, speedy depth receiver. Without a doubt, Dede is one of the free agents the Raiders should sign.
Cam Newton, Quarterback
Yes, Cam Newton did struggle last year, and his career is definitely not on the upturn. However, besides Derek Carr, for obvious reasons, the Raiders’ backup room could use a lot more talent. Neither Nick Mullens nor Jarrett Stidham have proven anything sustainable in their NFL careers, and Chase Garbers will have to fight to make the roster in general.
With Marcus Mariota gone, the Raiders could use a better backup quarterback. Having Newton start a prolonged period of games is most definitely not the argument here. The argument is that if Carr goes down, Cam is certainly a lot better than any option that the Raiders currently have, making him one of the free agents the Raiders should sign. What are your thoughts, Raider Nation? Are there any available players that should be targeted in Raiders free agency?
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*Top Photo: Kirk Irwin/Getty Images