Getty Las Vegas Raiders TE Darren Waller.
The Las Vegas Raiders have loaded up their offense this offseason. They already had great skill position players like Hunter Renfrow, Darren Waller and Josh Jacobs on the roster, and decided to add wide receiver Davante Adams to the mix. The team now has some of the best skill position players in the NFL.
Despite that, there’s nothing stopping the team from adding more. There are still some notable wide receivers in free agency. Guys like Julio Jones, Odell Beckham Jr. and Will Fuller have all proven to be impact players when they’re healthy. The Raiders have solid options for a No. 3 wide receiver with Keelan Cole and Demarcus Robinson but the team could want more star power.
In an interview with Heavy.com, Waller said that he’d welcome another star wide receiver with open arms and specifically singled out Jones as a player he’s been a fan of.
“Absolutely,” Waller said when asked if he’d be open to the Raiders adding another star wide receiver. “Julio Jones is one of my favorite players I’ve ever watched play football – just being from Atlanta and him establishing greatness from that city. Big Julio fan. I’ve always been a fan of Odell [Beckham Jr.], the way he plays the game is just explosive, just an electric player. … Having those guys on the team, even Will Fuller, those guys, the ability that they bring, just the mindset that they play with – any people in the league would want to have them on their team.”
Asked @Rackkwall83 if he would want another star WR on the Raiders. He’s a big fan of @juliojones_11, @obj and @willfuller1.
“Any people in the league would want to have them on their team.”
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Raiders Now Have Money to Play With
With June here, the Raiders finally opened up about $20 million in cap space. That’s a good chunk of change for the team to use on free agents considering they don’t have to sign a first or second-round draft pick. Jones, Beckham and Fuller are in free agency still due to their issues staying healthy in recent years. The Raiders could make sense as they don’t need more wide receiver talent so any of the three could take their time getting back on the field if they’re not healthy.
Las Vegas has bigger needs along the offensive line and on defense but Josh McDaniels is an offensive-minded head coach and could get excited about the idea of adding another big name to his offense.
No Such Thing as Too Much Talent
The Los Angeles Rams proved last season that a team can’t have too much talent. While they could be considered a unique situation, it’s still wise for teams around the league to look at their example. The Raiders are in the toughest division in the NFL. The AFC West will be a gauntlet in 2022. That’s not to mention that the entire AFC is stacked with elite offensive talent.
At the end of the day, there isn’t a defense in the NFL that’s good enough to stop Patrick Mahomes, Justin Herbert and Russell Wilson on a consistent basis. The only answer could be to have an offense so good that it can go blow to blow with those quarterbacks. Adding a wide receiver like Jones, Beckham or Fuller would easily give the Raiders the best group of wide receivers in the AFC West and certainly one of the best in the entire NFL.
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