The Las Vegas Raiders are going through a pretty substantial roster overhaul this offseason. Many key players and leaders are off to new teams. Wide receiver Mack Hollins was one of the best additions the team made last offseason and he appeared destined to return after a breakout year.
However, the Raiders already signed wide receiver Jakobi Meyers to a three-year deal, which made it highly unlikely they were going to pay Hollins. That became official as the wide receiver is signing a one-year deal with the Atlanta Falcons, per ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler.
Source: WR Mack Hollins and the #Falcons have agreed to a one-year deal.
Hollins broke out in Vegas with 57 catches for 690 yards last year.
Hollins was a beloved teammate and leader but the Raiders just didn’t have a need for more veteran wide receivers after the Meyers signing. The team is clearly reevaluating how it wants to go about things this year after a massively disappointing 2022 season. The plan appears to be to go young across much of the roster. Hollins is going to turn 30 during the season so he doesn’t necessarily fit into any long-term plans. The Falcons are a logical fit for Hollins as head coach Arthur Smith prefers to utilize big wide receivers. The 6-foot-4 veteran certainly fits that mold and should get some good looks with Kyle Pitts and Drake London getting much of the attention from opposing defenses.
Hollins Wanted a Multi-Year Deal
Prior to the 2022 season, Hollins never had a season with more than 226 receiving yards. He blew past that career high and had 690 yards with the Raiders. The wide receiver market was very strong in years past but teams didn’t appear interested in spending as much this offseason. According to Vic Tafur of The Athletic, Hollins was looking to get a two-year deal in free agency after signing a one-year deal last season.
Unfortunately for Hollins, there weren’t any teams on the market that thought he’d be worth more than one year. He’ll have to prove that 2022 wasn’t a fluke and that he’s capable of being a solid No. 2 or No. 3 receiver in an offense. He’s also very good in the special teams game.
Analyst Believes Raiders Got ‘Steal’ in Meyers
Though Hollins is gone, the Raiders should have a formidable wide receiver trio in Davante Adams, Hunter Renfrow and Meyers. All three of them have been leading receivers on teams for a whole season. Meyers didn’t appear to be on the Raiders’ radar this offseason so it was a bit of a surprise when they gave him a three-year deal worth $33 million. Seth Walder of ESPN thinks it’s one of the biggest steals of free agency so far:
The wide receiver market exploded a year ago and the free agent class is pretty weak overall this season, so I assumed that Meyers — arguably the top free agent wide receiver available — would receive a major payday.
He isn’t widely regarded as a No. 1, but then again, the same could be said for Christian Kirk, who received an average of $18 million per year as a free agent in 2022. Given that, consider me shocked at how cheap Meyers came to the Raiders. Las Vegas got a steal at the most important non-QB position in the sport.
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