Getty Las Vegas Raiders WR Hunter Renfrow.
The Las Vegas Raiders have some major retooling this offseason after a disappointing 2022 season. Despite making the playoffs in 2021 and adding Davante Adams to the roster, the team fell to 6-11. Quarterback Derek Carr has already been released and there could be some other big changes on the way.
Among the most disappointing players on the Raiders was wide receiver Hunter Renfrow. After a 2021 season that saw him break 1,000 receiving yards and make the Pro Bowl, the team gave him a $32 million contract extension. He followed that up by missing seven games due to injury and only catching 36 passes for 330 yards. Due to his lackluster season, Kristopher Knox of Bleacher Report sees a scenario where the Raiders could trade Renfrow to the Baltimore Ravens.
“Baltimore ranked 28th in passing yards this past season, and tight end Mark Andrews was the only player to top 500 receiving yards,” Knox wrote. “Adding a reliable receiver like Hunter Renfrow of the Las Vegas Raiders could help Jackson and new offensive coordinator Todd Monken.”
Knox went so far as to suggest that Renfrow could be had for a middle-round draft pick.
“If the Raiders are down on Renfrow, a middle-round pick might get a deal done,” Knox wrote. “He’d be a wonderful addition to a Baltimore team looking to build on a 2022 campaign that ended in the AFC Wild Card Round.”
Raiders Aren’t Trading Renfrow for Middle-Round Pick
Renfrow was expected to be even more productive under head coach Josh McDaniels. The coach had success with slot receivers in New England and Renfrow has been considered among the best in the NFL in recent years. He had a bad season in 2022 but so did a lot of other players in Las Vegas. If the Raiders add a good quarterback this offseason, it’s easy to see Renfrow returning to form.
Giving him up for anything less than a second-round pick would be a questionable decision. He’s only 27 and is under a reasonable contract. The Raiders also don’t have any good wide receivers other than Davante Adams and Renfrow under contract for 2023. Trading the slot receiver would only cause the team to have a big need at wide receiver.
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Will Renfrow Bounce Back in 2023?
Not many things went right for the Raiders’ offense in 2022. McDaniels was hailed as one of the top play callers in the NFL before taking the head coaching job but struggled to keep the offense playing at a consistently high level despite having very good players to work with. Outside of Adams and running back Josh Jacobs, many players on the offense put together disappointing years.
Renfrow should be able to return to form next season. He didn’t suffer any overly serious injuries. Carr also didn’t appear to have a strong grasp of McDaniels’ offense for much of the season. Getting the right quarterback in place would be a big help for Renfrow. He still has the chance to be a major impact player under McDaniels. He’s not the type of player who got paid and is going to stop working hard. He’ll put in the work this offseason to ensure he doesn’t repeat 2022’s performance.