Getty Josh McDaniels & Dave Ziegler of the Las Vegas Raiders.
The Las Vegas Raiders‘ offensive line still needs some work but the rest of the offense should be mostly set. The team has a very good wide receiver trio of Davante Adams, Hunter Renfrow and Jakobi Meyers. Plus, the team just recently signed two-time Pro Bowl tight end Austin Hooper.
However, the Raiders may still want even more playmakers on offense. The defense remains a major question mark but the team doesn’t appear interested in spending a ton of money on that side of the ball. If Las Vegas wants to go all in on trying to have an elite offense, there could be another playmaker on the market. The Arizona Cardinals are trying to trade star wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins and it’s likely he finds a new home this offseason.
The Raiders haven’t been thought to be a landing spot for the five-time All-Pro due to their abundance of wide receiver talent but a former player is claiming that they’re interested. Former Pro Bowl cornerback Adam “Pacman” Jones says that his sources are telling him that the Raiders are in play for Hopkins.
“The Raiders are on the board, also,” Jones said on the March 23 episode of the “Pat McAfee Show.”
A Raiders Trade for Hopkins Highly Unlikely
Adding Hopkins to a wide receiver corps that already has Adams would give the Raiders the best duo in the NFL. Prior to missing games with injury and suspension issues over the last two seasons, Hopkins was arguably the best wide receiver in the NFL. Adams has taken the crown the past couple of seasons but Hopkins is the same age and could stake his claim that he’s still the best. Having both of them on the same team would be borderline unstoppable.
However, there’s a reason why pairings like that don’t typically happen. Adams and Hopkins are both wildly expensive players. The two would have a combined cap hit of $45.49 million in 2023. There’s also the fact that the Raiders would have to trade an asset to get Hopkins. That might include them having to move on from Renfrow. While having Hopkins and Adams on the same team would be one of the biggest storylines of the 2023 season, it’s very difficult to imagine the Raiders trying to make it happen.
Raiders Bring Back Keelan Cole
The Raiders should mostly be done adding wide receiver talent in free agency. They’ve already added, Meyers, Cam Sims and Phillip Dorsett. They’re also bringing back a familiar face. The team announced that they’ve re-signed Keelan Cole.
Welcome back, Keelan!
We have re-signed unrestricted free agent WR Keelan Cole Sr. » t.co/Ix8GBaO6MQ
Cole joined the Raiders last offseason but didn’t make the final roster after training camp. He was brought back onto the practice squad and eventually earned himself a permanent spot on the active roster. He caught 10 passes for 141 yards last season and played in 14 games. The coaching staff clearly likes him and he should have a chance to see more playing time next season. He does have some competition for the No. 4 or No. 5 wide receiver spot but his experience from last season should give him an edge. Cole has four seasons with over 400 receiving yards so he could be more productive in his second year in Las Vegas.