Let’s catch you up on a busy week for the Las Vegas Raiders: Jack Bech has officially signed, and there’s an update on Christian Wilkins, among other news.
A notable change in the NFL this year is that players selected in the second round are now receiving guaranteed contracts. As teams get ready to start their training camps, several rookies chosen in this round have secured guaranteed deals. Among these players are Jayden Higgins from the Houston Texans and Nick Emmanwori from the Seattle Seahawks, Pete Carroll’s former team.
The Raiders finally signed Jack Bech…
While many Raiders fans speculated that Bech could be joining that list, it didn’t pan out. The 58th overall selection had been without a contract up until this week—as The Athletic’s Tashan Reed reported, the former TCU standout agreed to terms as rookies began reporting for Raiders training camp. In contrast, Vinny Bonsignore of the Las Vegas Review-Journal reported that Bech didn’t receive a fully guaranteed contract.
The entire 2025 rookie class has now signed, eliminating any potential distractions. Raider Nation is eagerly anticipating how Bech will develop under the guidance of new offensive coordinator Chip Kelly.
Speaking of distractions, Raiders fans finally received an official update after months of speculation about Christian Wilkins.
When is Christian Wilkins expected to play for the Raiders again?
It’s been an intriguing offseason thus far for the star defensive tackle. Despite the unfortunate injury that cut short his first season in Sin City, Wilkins’s impact was undeniable when he was healthy. Still, it’s been fair to wonder if the contract given to him by former general manager Tom Telesco was an overpay. Considering the tendencies of Telesco’s replacement, John Spytek, is it reasonable to think that the Raiders would offer the same deal?
All of that aside, Raider Nation just wants to know when he’ll play again. On Friday, the Raiders announced that Wilkins would be placed on the physically unable to perform list. Last October, the former Miami Dolphin underwent season-ending foot surgery. Until now, he’s been unable to make an impact during the team’s offseason program. In fact, if you recall, he was wearing a walking boot as late as June.
It should be stated that Wilkins can be removed from the PUP list before rosters are reduced to 53 players. The discussion now focuses on the number of games Wilkins is expected to miss in a worst-case scenario.
Speaking of worst-case scenarios, imagine if Las Vegas hadn’t drafted Brock Bowers.
All-Pro TE wasn’t on his team’s radar on draft night…
While we all know how things turned out between Bowers and the Raiders, it was intriguing to hear the tight end discuss the circumstances. During his appearance on “Bussin’ With The Boys,” Bowers noted that he and his future team hadn’t really communicated much.
“It’s actually kind of funny; it’s always like the team you least expect to pick you. I didn’t talk to them a ton; I talked to other teams a lot more and then all of a sudden I’m sitting there on draft night and I get a call,” Bowers recalled. “Me and my agent are talking and Las Vegas isn’t even in the picture, really. All of a sudden I get a call and it says Las Vegas, Nevada.”
When it was said and done, Bowers fell onto the Raiders’ lap—and without needing to get cute with their pick, the Silver and Black finally got it right.
Related: Concerns Linger For The Silver And Black As Camp Begins
*Top Photo: The Sporting Tribune