Getty New Las Vegas Raiders WR Alex Bachman.
The Las Vegas Raiders are bringing in another wide receiver to their roster. The team announced on May 22 that they’ve signed Alex Bachman to the roster.
We have signed free agent WR Alex Bachman.
Bachman has bounced around the NFL since being an undrafted free agent signing of the Los Angeles Rams in 2019. His longest stint was with the New York Giants where he spent three seasons. That was also the only team he played games for as he played in four.
Bachman hasn’t recorded a reception at the NFL level but does have a bit of experience returning kicks and punts. The Raiders don’t seem to have a dedicated returner yet so they’ll likely test a few players there.
The Raiders wide receiver room is one of the strongest position groups on the team so Bachman has an uphill battle trying to make the roster. The easiest way for him to compete for a roster spot is to prove his worth in the return game. The team already has plenty of good pass catchers but could use special teams help.
Davante Adams Among Best Players in 30s
The Raiders’ wide receiver room is led by three-time All-Pro Davante Adams. He’s coming off his weakest season since 2019 but remains an elite player. John Kosko of Pro Football Focus ranked Adams as the ninth-best player in the NFL who is over the age of 30.
“A down year for Adams in 2023 was no fault of his own, as the quarterback situation in Las Vegas took a turn for the worse,” Kosko wrote in a May 20 column. “After five straight years of earning PFF receiving grades north of 87.5, Adams posted an 80.0 in 2023. Unfortunately for him, his quarterback room isn’t much better in 2024.”
As Kosko alluded to, it’s difficult to know for sure if Adams is aging or if his stats are declining due to his age. He still showed elite route running last season but wasn’t able to make a consistent impact every game. The Raiders are likely to have quarterback inconsistencies again in 2024 so Adams could struggle to put up big stats again.
Tre Tucker Could Have Breakout Season
The Raiders don’t have a ton of stars at wide receiver outside of Adams but they do have some interesting players. Jakobi Meyers is the No. 2 wide receiver and he’s proven to be very good. There’s an opening at the team’s No. 3 wide receiver spot and Tre Tucker could be a player to watch.
The 2023 third-round pick was listed as a breakout candidate for the Raiders by Bleacher Report’s Kristopher Knox.
“There are a few reasons why Tucker is poised to make a jump this year, starting with the addition of Minshew,” Knox wrote in a May 20 column. “A 2023 Pro Bowl alternate, Minshew should improve Las Vegas’ quarterback play. He’ll either win the job and provide an upgrade or push O’Connell to raise his level of production.
“Either outcome will be a win for Tucker, who should take a firm hold on the WR3 role behind Davante Adams and Jakobi Meyers.”
Tucker is one of the fastest players on the Raiders and he should be able to get open deep. If he can prove to be a reliable deep threat, that will help open the offense up quite a bit.