The Las Vegas Raiders stayed relatively quiet at the beginning of free agent but the team is starting to make some moves. The team just lost team captain and wide receiver Mack Hollins to the Atlanta Falcons. They also traded away tight end Darren Waller to the New York Giants.
The Raiders’ offense needed some size with the loss of those two and were able to find some. Las Vegas announced the signing of wide receiver Cam Sims.
Welcome to Vegas, Cam!
We have signed unrestricted free agent WR Cam Sims » t.co/BjZnfn4Pga
The former Washington Commander stands at 6-foot-5 so he certainly brings some good size to the wide receiver room. Sims originally came into the NFL as an undrafted free agent of the Commanders in 2018. He played his college ball at Alabama and was briefly teammates with Raiders star running back Josh Jacobs. He’ll likely be happy to see a familiar face join the team after losing a couple of close teammates this offseason. Sims spent his entire five-year career with the Commanders and played in 55 games. His best season came in 2020 when he caught 32 passes for 477 yards. Washington has had quarterback issues for years so going to a team that has a proven starter like the Raiders could be good for his career.
Raiders Having Visit With Austin Hooper
Now that Waller is gone, the Raiders have a need at tight end. The team signed O.J. Howard but he only had 10 catches last season. Waller was one of the most dominant tight ends in the NFL when he was healthy so it won’t be easy to replace his production. It doesn’t appear the Raiders expect Howard to and are looking to the free agent market to continue to address the position.
According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, the Raiders are bringing in free agent tight end Austin Hooper for a visit.
Hooper was most recently with the Tennessee Titans where he had 41 catches for 444 yards in 2022. He’s a two-time Pro Bowler and still a productive tight end. Though he hasn’t made a Pro Bowl since 2019, he’s still just 28 years old. He should still have at least a few years left of being a solid tight end. He wouldn’t fully replace Waller but he’d be a good player to have on the roster in case the team can’t find a difference-making tight end in the draft.
Phillip Dorsett Talks Josh McDaniels
Sims isn’t the only new wide receiver who will be joining the Raiders. The team also signed Phillip Dorsett to the roster. While he’s new to Las Vegas, he previously worked with head coach Josh McDaniels while they were with the New England Patriots. He had a chance to talk about his relationship with the coach.
“Me and Josh always had a good connection,” Dorsett said in his introductory press conference on March 16. “I was always a guy who can play all three positions. His football mind is just out of this world, man. He’s really smart when it comes to football and just putting things together, putting game plans together, multiple personnel and stuff like that. Me and him have been close because we see eye to eye when it comes to football, and we’ve always stayed in contact. But it was just an opportunity that came that I just felt like for me, personally, I couldn’t refuse. And I just want to come here and help this team win any way I can.”
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Raiders Strike Deal With 6-Foot-5 Ex-Commanders WR