Raiders Cut Ex-Chargers Speedster, Bring Back Vet WR

Getty Former Raiders WR Jalen Guyton.

The Las Vegas Raiders only have four wide receivers on the active roster following the team cutting Alex Bachman to make room for tight end Michael Mayer. Despite the lack of depth at the position, it seems the team might keep the wide receiver room light for now.

In the meantime, the Raiders made some changes to the practice squad. The team announced on Monday that they’ve cut wide receiver Jalen Guyton from the practice squad. The former Los Angeles Charger joined Las Vegas this offseason but didn’t get a chance to play in a game.

He’s more of a speedster who can make plays down the field but the Raiders don’t have a quarterback who can make those throws so he’s not a great fit. The team then announced that they signed Bachman to replace Guyton on the practice squad.

Bachman likely can’t be too thrilled to be back on a practice squad after finally getting a spot on the active roster but he’s only made three catches so it wasn’t necessary to keep him on the active roster. The Raiders clearly like Bachman and it wouldn’t be a surprise if he plays in another game this season.

WR a Big Need for Raiders

Heading into the season, the Raiders’ wide receiver corps looked promising. The group was led by former All-Pro Davante Adams and Jakobi Meyers is a very good No. 2 wide receiver. Tre Tucker was the up-and-coming speedster who had a great offseason so there was a lot of hope the group would be able to make plays.

Unfortunately, Adams forced a trade, Meyers has missed multiple games due to injury and Tucker needs a quarterback who can stretch the field for him to truly make an impact. Meyers and Tucker will likely be back next season as they are both under contract but neither is a No 1 wide receiver.

The Raiders will be in the market to address the position in the offseason and there are some intriguing options.

WRs Raiders Can Pursue in Offseason

The wide receiver who is likely to get the biggest payday in free agency is Tee Higgins. The Cincinnati Bengals don’t seem very keen on re-signing the star wide receiver, which means he could be available. He’ll likely get paid over $20 million a year. Is that a price the Raiders want to pay? It’s possible but they may look for cheaper options.

If Las Vegas doesn’t want to break the bank, they could sign an older wide receiver like Keenan Allen or Amari Cooper and then draft a rookie in the second or third round. General manager Tom Telesco isn’t afraid to use first-round picks on wide receivers as he did it twice when he was with the Chargers.

However, this year is all about getting a quarterback so it’s unlikely the Raiders use their first pick to get a wide receiver. The team will want to set up whoever the quarterback is for success and a good way to do that is to make sure they are surrounded with capable pass catchers.