Getty Josh McDaniels with Davante Adams.
The Las Vegas Raiders currently employ argugably the best wide receiver in the NFL in Davante Adams. He was supposed to form one of the leauge’s best duos with Hunter Renfrow but the 2021 Pro Bowler had a down year and missed seven games due to injury. Mack Hollins was a revelation as the No. 3 wide receiver but will be a free agent and is likely to get a raise.
If the Raiders lose Hollins, they’ll need to bring in another wide receiver. The team doesn’t need to make a big splash with Adams and Renfrow on the roster but could look to a proven veteran to build an elite passing attack. Aaron Schartz wrote for ESPN that the Raiders “must consider” signing Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster in free agency:
The Raiders need a wide receiver to play opposite Davante Adams, but they’re going to have a bit of a challenge finding the right one. The trick is not to sign a receiver who duplicates the skill set of slot receiver Hunter Renfrow. Most of this year’s top free agent wideouts are primarily slot receivers, including Jakobi Meyers, Robert Woods and Parris Campbell.
Smith-Schuster is often thought of as a slot receiver too, but he lines up wide more often than you think. Last season, 42% of his targets came when he was lined up wide before the snap. Smith-Schuster’s ups and downs in Pittsburgh showed that he flourishes when he can be a No. 2 instead of a No. 1, and he would be a strong complement to Adams and Renfrow.
What Is Smith-Schuster’s Market Value?
Smith-Schuster isn’t exactly the most popular player among NFL players and fans. He’s coming off a Super Bowl win with the Chiefs but caught the ire of much of the NFL world when he went after Philadlephia Eagles cornerback James Bradberry following the Super Bowl. This led to many players going after him, including Eagles wide receiver A.J. Brown. Ahead of free agency, there might be teams that prefer to take him off their free agency board due to the potential headache he causes.
Despite that, Spotrac believes he’s valued quite highly. They have Smith-Schuster’s market value at four years, $58.6 million. That would give him an annual salary of $14.6 million. That’s a lot of money to pay a wide receiver who hasn’t broken 1,000 receiving yards in a season since 2018.
Smith-Schuster to Raiders Seems Unlikely
The Raiders have much bigger needs than wide receiver. The offensive line needs work and the defense needs new playmakers at every level. Smith-Schuster would only make sense if he’s looking for another one year deal. Also, if the Raiders are going to go after another wide receiver, they need one who can stretch the field. Smith-Schuster certainly isn’t slow but he’s not known for his downfield speed. He only averaged 11.9 yards per reception throughout his career.
The Raiders should target speed, which could help open things up more for Renfrow and Adams. There’s also the fact that the team has a lot of money already tied up into those two wide receivers. If they’re going to add to the positon, they’re going to have to look for cheap options. They could even have a hard time keeping Hollins if another team comes in and makes him a big offer.