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The Antonio Brown and Oakland Raiders marriage has ended before it ever really started. After less than a year with the team and no games played, the two sides have parted ways in an ugly divorce.
It’s a disappointing end to a disappointing tenure. With the season almost underway, Oakland will need to move on and find a replacement for Brown. Fortunately, there may be a couple of strong options on the open market.
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Dez Bryant
Dez Bryant is a few years removed from a really productive season, but he’s been off for almost two years now and could finally be healthy enough to return to his top-tier form. He does have some of the diva qualities that Brown has, but he’s not even close to that level. He’s also had a few years to humble himself. Plus, the Raiders could probably get him for super cheap.
Bryant probably wouldn’t elevate to the team’s number one receiver spot, but he could be a strong number two. He may not be ready for the season opener. The Raiders could wait and see how their wide receiver corps is coming along and give Bryant a call when he could be more inclined to suit back up.
Kelvin Benjamin
Kelvin Benjamin doesn’t have the upside that Bryant does as he hasn’t had a 1,000-yard season since his rookie year. However, he’s still just 28-years old and could still have more than a few productive games left in the tank. He would be more of a low-level replacement for Brown.
Benjamin probably wouldn’t be able to overtake Hunter Renfrow, J.J. Nelson or Ryan Grant. That being said, the Raiders do have an open roster spot and he could be a solid fifth option for Derek Carr. Benjamin could benefit from playing with a quarterback like Carr, who likes to spread the ball around.
Jordy Nelson & Other Retirees
Truth be told, there’s not a lot of strong wide receiver options on the open market. One interesting thing the Raiders could do is to try and lure some players out of retirement. Jordy Nelson called Oakland home in 2018, but the team let him walk and he decided to retire. He wasn’t all that bad for the Raiders last year and now that there’s more talent on the offense, he could thrive as a third option for the team. He’s 34-years old, so he’s certainly no spring chicken. He could be a nice fill-in while the Raiders wait to reevaluate the position after the season.
Rishard Matthews is another player that recently retired that the Raiders could give a call. He’s actually not that far removed from a productive season. He was ineffective in 2018 but put up 795 receiving yards in 2017. He’s only 29-years old and should have plenty left in the tank. He’s actually a guy Oakland should really consider trying to get out of retirement because he’s a productive receiver and could potentially be the number two guy behind Tyrell Williams.
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