While speaking to the media this weekend, Las Vegas Raiders tight end Michael Mayer shared his optimistic thoughts on Brock Bowers’ addition.
This year’s first round of the NFL Draft presented a unique opportunity for Raiders general manager Tom Telesco. When it came time to make the pick, Telesco faced a dilemma with all the top quarterback prospects off the board. Sure, he could’ve picked the best defensive player available at that point. However, Telesco went with the best player available, period. By picking Georgia tight end Brock Bowers, new offensive coordinator Luke Getsy now has a deadly duo he can work with.
The next great Raiders duo?
One half of that duo, Mayer, showed sporadic moments of greatness. He has the physical tools and natural talent you want in a tight end. Still, it took him a while to get it going in his rookie campaign. It was those flashes of breakaway speed and dominant physicality that gave Raiders fans hope.
As far as Bowers goes, Mayer shed light on some of his thoughts regarding this year’s star rookie. While speaking with Vincent Bonsignore of the Las Vegas Review-Journal this weekend, Mayer had nothing but positive words for his new teammate.
“He’s fast, and he’s got great hands. He can block. He can do it all. I feel like we can both do it all. I think we’re going to be dangerous, and I think we’re going to have a great offense. That’s kind of all I’ve got to say about it. It’s going to be a lot of fun.”
How will Luke Getsy’s offense make use of Mayer and Bowers?
It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to see what Mayer does; Bowers is a freak. He was the Georgia offense, by all accounts—he’s that special. The question that lingers for some Raiders fans is whether Getsy will be able to maximize all of this talent on offense. Star wideout Davante Adams certainly vouches for him—it’s a waiting game until actual football is being played. One thing’s for sure: Mayer acknowledged that this current personnel group, as constructed, can be very special if done right.
“Look, our whole job is to win ball games. As an offense, we need to score touchdowns, and that’s what we’re going to do to the best of our ability. We can play a lot of 12 personnel; we can play a lot of 11, and we’ve got a lot of weapons.”
Time will tell if Getsy can effectively implement the right personnel. The talent will be there, and Raider Nation can take solace in that.
*Top Photo: Getty Images