After mostly ignoring their wide receiver need in free agency, the Las Vegas Raiders went all out in the draft and picked up two solid prospects. The team currently has a ton of wide receivers on the roster and they’ve decided they might as well add one more. The Raiders announced on Thursday that they’re bringing back a familiar face in De’Mornay Pierson-El.
We have re-signed free agent WR De’Mornay Pierson-El.
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It’s been quite a road for veteran wide receiver De’Mornay Pierson-El. He went undrafted in 2018 after playing college football at Nebraska. He was briefly a member of the Washington Redskins in the NFL. Pierson-El never played a game for them and then made his way to the Canadian Football League.
He then joined the Alliance of American Football before he was signed by the Raiders. Pierson-El never made it past the practice squad and has been released by the team on three separate occasions. He had a brief stint in the XFL, but will now have his fourth chance to make the Raiders’ roster.
Raiders Revamped WR Corps
Wide receiver was a massive weakness for the Raiders in 2019, but thanks to some smart drafting, it could be a strength in 2020. The team took Henry Ruggs out of Alabama with the 12th overall pick and he brings game-breaking speed to the table. They also selected South Carolina’s Bryan Edwards in the third round. He’s a big-bodied wide receiver who will make contested catches.
Las Vegas will also be bringing back Tyrell Williams, who was supposed to have a big year for the team but was hampered by injuries. If he’s healthy, he can still be that top wide receiver the Raiders thought they were getting when they signed him. There’s also Zay Jones. The team traded for him in the middle of the season, but he did close to nothing in the games he played.
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Which WRs Don’t Make the Cut?
With all the new talent the Raiders brought on this offseason, there’s going to be some odd men out. Ruggs and Edwards are locks to make the roster due to their statuses as high draft picks. Williams isn’t going anywhere because he’s got a lot of guaranteed money this year.
Jones should be feeling the heat. He’s been working hard with quarterback Derek Carr all offseason, but he was nonexistent when he was on the field in 2019. That said, he could go into training camp and impress after all the work he’s put in.
Keelan Doss was a star for the Raiders in training camp last offseason, but he disappeared during the regular season. The team was hoping they found a steal in him. However, his days might be numbered with the Raiders. Perhaps a spot on the practice squad will be left open.
Marcell Ateman has been a good soldier for the Raiders and toughed out a couple of stints on the practice squad. He’s come in for the team late in the last two seasons when they were hit with injuries. It wouldn’t be a surprise if the team kept him around on the practice squad and called him up if somebody gets hurt.
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Raiders Re-Sign Veteran Wide Receiver for 4th Time