Wide receiver was a concern for the Las Vegas Raiders coming into the season, and so far, only Tre Tucker has emerged as a consistent option. Out of the team’s top four players in receiving yards, Tucker is the only wide receiver on the list.
Cody White is the only other wide receiver on the roster with over 100 receiving yards on the season. Jack Bech is still on Injured Reserve with a broken forearm, so it remains to be seen when he’ll return to the field.
Last year, there was a lot of excitement surrounding Dont’e Thornton. The 6-foot-5 wide receiver with blistering speed did enough in training camp to earn a Week 1 starting spot.
Since then, it has been tough. He eventually lost his starting job due to a lack of production and was banged up for most of training camp. He started the season on Injured Reserve, but returned to practice two weeks ago. Despite him saying that he’s healthy, the Raiders have yet to activate him.
Based on new comments from head coach Klint Kubiak, it doesn’t sound like Thornton has shown the team enough to earn his roster spot back.
“He’s going out there to practice to show us that he’s ready, and he’s been building up,” Kubiak told reporters on Wednesday. “He had a good first week, had a good second week. He’s got his legs underneath him, and he’s got to go show us something.”
Could Thornton Be on the Hot Seat?
The Raiders used a fourth-round pick to select Thornton last year, so it wasn’t a heavy investment. It was also a different coaching staff.
General manager John Spytek would almost certainly like to see if the athletic freak has more potential, but it’s going to be up to the coaching staff if he actually plays.
If the Raiders don’t activate him soon, his 21-day window is up, which means he’ll be out for the season. Even if he’s not fully up to speed yet, it would be an odd choice not to activate him just to add some depth to the wide receiver room. It’s possible that Kubiak just doesn’t think he can make a positive impact on the offense. If that’s the case, there’s a chance that he could be a cut or trade candidate in the coming weeks.
Why Would Raiders Give up on Thornton Already?
It would certainly be surprising if the Raiders just gave up on Thornton this early in his career. He’s not a polished route runner and has issues catching the ball, but he’s 6-foot-5 and runs a 4.30 40-yard dash.
That is a very rare combination of size and speed that can’t be taught. There hasn’t been any word about him being a bad teammate or having issues off the field. It could be as simple as the Raiders thinking that he’s just not very good.
There are plenty of examples of athletic freaks not working out in the NFL, but the team hasn’t really given Thornton much of a chance. It’ll be very interesting to see what they do with him.
Klint Kubiak Comments Could Be Bad News For Young Raiders WR