Getty Free agent WR Robby Anderson.
The Las Vegas Raiders have a major need at wide receiver and as it stands now, it looks like the team will address the need in the draft. Free agency is still underway but all the big fish have signed with teams and the Raiders aren’t about to find a number one wide receiver at this point. New York Jets free agent Robby Anderson was rumored to be a target for the team, but it’s clear his asking price was too high.
According to Vic Tafur of The Athletic, the Raiders took a look at him but skipped out.
As far as Robby Anderson, the #Raiders liked him but decided to focus on defense in FA. As Mayock said, there are 25 or so WRs in the draft with a top-3 round grade.
Based on how the Raiders have attacked free agency this year, the defense has been the focus. Outside of Marcus Mariota and Jason Witten, the team has largely ignored the offense. There’s still plenty of time for the team to make signings and there will definitely be additions eventually, but no more needle movers are available. Anderson thought he was one of those needle movers based on the report he was expecting $13 to $15 million a year, but the Raiders obviously didn’t think so.
Anderson’s Market Much Smaller Than Expected
The person who is probably most disappointed by how free agency has played out is Robby Anderson. Like previously mentioned, he was expecting a big deal. According to Connor Hughes of The Athletic, Anderson isn’t getting much interest:
I’ve made calls to virtually every source I have around the league — agents, executives, personnel people, scouts. It’s radio silence on the Robby Anderson front.
No one’s heard of any team making a legitimate run at him. No one’s heard of any type of salary coming his way. I even connected a few dots of my own. I knew of one team that failed to sign Amari Cooper and also missed out on trading for Stefon Diggs. Naturally, they’d be an option for Anderson, the top target on the open market. Right?
“He’s not someone we’re interested in right now,” the source said.
That’s got to be a blow to the ego for Anderson. However, it was a bit of wishful thinking for him to believe he could get similar money to Davante Adams or Jarvis Landry. He’s never had over 1,000 yards in a season and there’s no reason to believe he’ll be a number one wide receiver this year. Plus, with a loaded draft class on the way, there really is no reason to overpay for an underperforming veteran.
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Any Interest in Emmanuel Sanders?
Emmanuel Sanders is another big name wide receiver who is still sitting in free agency. Five years ago, Sanders would’ve gotten a huge payday. He wasn’t bad in 2019 after getting traded to the San Francisco 49ers, but he’s 33 years old and long past his prime. Sanders’ days as a number one wide receiver are probably over and he’d be better off going to a veteran team.
The Raiders have gone down the veteran wide receiver route before with Jordy Nelson and that didn’t work out for them. Sanders could still make an impact, but he’s not a player the Raiders need to sign. There hasn’t been any talk of a potential move there, so it seems unlikely he lands with Las Vegas.
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