Getty New Las Vegas Raiders WR Keelan Cole.
The Las Vegas Raiders are set to have one of the most stacked offenses in the NFL this season. The team already had a good group last season and decided to add Davante Adams to the mix. Their group of Derek Carr, Adams, Hunter Renfrow, Darren Waller and Josh Jacobs is as good of a fivesome as there is in the NFL. Even with all that talent, the team isn’t done adding to the offense.
Behind Renfrow and Adams, there will be competition for who will be the team’s No. 3 wide receiver. Bryan Edwards and Demarcus Robinson were the likely favorites to earn the role but things just got tougher for them. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the Raiders are signing Keelan Cole to a one-year contract.
Former Jaguars’ and Jets’ WR Keelan Cole is signing a 1-year deal with the Raiders, per source.
Cole is a really interesting addition to the team right now. He’s been in the league for five years now and has been a consistent producer. He got his start with the Jacksonville Jaguars as an undrafted free agent in 2017. As a rookie, he led the team with 748 receiving yards. He spent last season with the New York Jets where he started 11 games and had 449 yards.
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Cole Can Make Big Plays
Though it’s late in free agency, Cole could be a sneaky good addition for the Raiders. He’s only missed two games in his career so he’s durable and he’s had over 400 receiving yards in four of his five seasons. The most interesting thing about his game is that he can make big plays without elite speed. Despite running track in high school, he only ran a 4.59 40-yard dash when he was heading into the field.
Cole’s numbers suggest that he’s faster in pads. As a rookie, he averaged an impressive 17.9 yards per reception. That was second in the NFL that season. This past year, he averaged 16.0 yards per reception, which was tied sixth-best in the league. He could be a deep threat for quarterback Derek Carr this season.
Raiders Have 6th Ranked Offense, per Bleacher Report
The Raiders’ offense has been solid over the past few years under Jon Gruden but it should take a leap under Josh McDaniels. Not only is he considered a better playcaller, but he also has better weapons to work with than Gruden had. Though there’s still a lot that can happen before the season starts, Bleacher Report ranked the Raiders as the sixth-best offense in the NFL:
An offense that ranked sixth in passing and 11th in total yards will be even better after the arrival of Davante Adams. The Raiders traded for Carr’s college teammate and now boast arguably the best receiving corps in the league.
Las Vegas also added former Chiefs receiver Demarcus Robinson.
The only real question mark for Las Vegas is an offensive line that allowed 40 sacks last season and struggled to open running lanes. The addition of third-round rookie guard Dylan Parham could help there.
As Bleacher Report noted, the offensive line is a concern but the Raiders’ weapons are just too good for the offense not to be one of the best in the NFL.
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Raiders Sign Former Jaguars Leading WR With Big Play Ability