Klint Kubiak wants the Las Vegas Raiders‘ receivers to step up and ease Brock Bowers’ workload. Could Jalen Nailor and Dont’e Thornton be the answer?
Kubiak said Friday that getting more production from the receivers to take attention off Bowers is “very important,” and that the team has worked on it this week. He said that effort falls on the coaching staff as much as the players, including getting those receivers their touches.
Kubiak also spoke about two pass catchers. He said Dont’e Thornton Jr. has impressed him, is getting back into football shape and is doing a great job in the meeting room. On Jalen Nailor, who missed last week’s game, Kubiak called him a playmaker who will help the team win a lot of games. He said the missed game gave Nailor a chance to freshen up.
Asked about his plan to fix problems in small pieces, Kubiak said the team has responded to a very intentional staff. Whether a team is winning or losing, he said, you’re always fixing something.
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Who’s going to step up for the Raiders?
Bowers is the offense’s best-known weapon, and defenses have little reason to leave him alone unless someone else punishes them. Nailor’s absence exposed how thin the receiver group is, and Kubiak’s praise suggests the staff wants him in a bigger role. Thornton is a depth-chart story to watch. Kubiak’s comments about his conditioning and meeting-room work read like a player being groomed for a spot, not one already in the rotation. If he and Nailor produce, the Raiders get cheaper, internal answers at receiver instead of having to spend resources elsewhere.
Kubiak will script more early-down targets for Nailor and the other wideouts, and defenses will have to stop doubling Bowers or pay for it.
The Raiders’ receivers must carry more of the load, because Bowers can’t be the only answer. If Nailor and Thornton deliver, the offense opens up. If they don’t, Las Vegas will need outside help.
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