The Las Vegas Raiders are now in the Fernando Mendoza era after the Silver and Black traded veteran QB Kirk Cousins. When it comes to the passing game, Mendoza has a one-two punch at tight end with Brock Bowers and Michael Mayer.
Moreover, at receiver, he does have Tre Tucker to stretch the field. However, what the Raiders are lacking is a No. 1 receiver that Mendoza can lean on, and there are several ways the Silver and Black can go about filling that need.
Las Vegas could draft, trade, or use free agency to find that No. 1 guy. Bleacher Report’s Kristopher Knox is predicting the Raiders to be one of the two potential destinations (the Los Angeles Chargers being the other destination) for Dallas Cowboys wideout George Pickens.
Knox also issued a four-year, $140 million contract projection for Pickens in free agency; whether that comes from Dallas, Las Vegas, or another team remains to be seen.
“George Pickens might not be the top wide receiver available on the 2027 market, but that won’t prevent him from being the top target for a lot of teams,” Knox wrote in a Nov. 11 article. “He’s been an elite No. 2 receiver for the Dallas Cowboys. He will only turn 26 in March.”
Why the Raiders Would Want George Pickens
Knox adds why a team like the Raiders would want to give Pickens a lucrative contract to be their No. 1 guy. The only thing that would prevent the Cowboys wideout from hitting free agency is if Dallas puts the franchise tag on him for a second straight offseason.
“Pickens showed last season that he’s even capable of putting up No. 1 receiver numbers,” Knox added in the article. “He filled the role for a few games when CeeDee Lamb was sidelined and finished with 1,429 yards and nine touchdowns. It was the second campaign in four seasons with at least 1,100 yards for the Georgia product.”
“With a great blend of speed, size (6’3”, 200 lbs), and contested-catch ability, Pickens should heavily interest teams that need a go-to target and don’t want to dish out a market-topping contract. On the open market, he should fall somewhere in the range of Lamb, Garrett Wilson, and Zay Flowers. That is, if the Cowboys don’t give him the franchise tag for the second straight offseason.”
Ex-Raiders GM on Transition to Fernando Mendoza as QB1
With the Mendoza era now beginning, former Raiders general manager Tom Telesco shared his thoughts on the Silver and Black plan that eventually led to the decision to trade Cousins and have a new QB1.
“I think they’ve played this quarterback transition period perfectly, and they had a plan going in,” Telesco said during a Nov. 10 appearance on AM 570. “They talked about the plan right after they drafted Fernando Mendoza as far as how they’re going to approach the season, and they stuck to the plan. Believe me, from someone who has worked there, that hasn’t always been the case.
“Right now, they had a plan, they totally stuck to it, and it’s worked out perfectly. Kirk Cousins was the perfect quarterback to bring in to bridge the gap. He’s a great teammate; he’s a true pro. He’s a great mentor for Fernando.”
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