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Many of the Las Vegas Raiders‘ free agent moves have fallen flat. Chandler Jones and Bilal Nichols still don’t have a full sack this season. Anthony Averett has been hurt and hasn’t played well when he’s on the field.
Perhaps the team’s best move in free agency was signing wide receiver Mack Hollins. Not much was made when the Raiders signed the former Miami Dolphins wide receiver but he quickly started turning heads in training camp. He’s got great size at 6-foot-4 and good speed for somebody as big as him. In just 11 games with the team this season, he’s already set career highs in catches (40) and receiving yards (531).
With Hollins having a breakout year, the Raiders will have difficulty bringing him back. Kristopher Knox of Bleacher Report named the wide receiver as a “sneaky good” free agent this offseason and suggested he could get a solid contract in a weak class:
The 2023 receiver class is also a little underwhelming, with players like JuJu Smith-Schuster, Allen Lazard and Jakobi Meyers headlining the market. Because of a relatively shallow player pool, we’re likely to see some second-tier wideouts getting comparatively large contracts.
Teams not looking to overpay should be keeping a close eye on Las Vegas Raiders receiver Mack Hollins.
The 29-year-old has flashed his playmaking ability in the past. In 2021, for example, he was a field-stretcher with the Miami Dolphins, averaging 15.9 yards per reception and scoring on four of his 14 receptions. This season with the Raiders, though, he has emerged as a reliable perimeter target.
Can Raiders Afford to Bring Back Hollins?
It’s looking likely that Hollins will be a one-and-done with the Raiders. They’ve already got a lot of money tied up in Davante Adams and Hunter Renfrow. They can’t afford to pay another wide receiver good money. Hollins is a bit of an oddball so it’s possible he might be willing to take a discount to stay in Las Vegas but this is this will also be the best chance he’s had to get a big payday.
Over the past two seasons, the Raiders took flyers on Nelson Agholor and Zay Jones after they struggled with their original teams. Both Agholor and Jones got big contracts when they hit free agency. It appears that Hollins is on his way to a similar situation. That’s good news for him but not great news for the Raiders.
Pete Carroll Thinks Seahawks Should’ve Beaten Raiders
Hollins didn’t have his biggest game of the season against the Seahawks but he did score a touchdown. He was also responsible for helping block for Josh Jacobs as he ran for the game-winning touchdown. It was a wild game that could’ve gone either way. In fact, Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll wasn’t happy and believed that his team should’ve won the game.
“Really disappointed that we’re sitting here talking about a game that we didn’t win cause that was a game we should’ve won,” Carroll said Sunday, via Sports Illustrated.
The Raiders could’ve easily lost had a few plays gone the other way. However, they’ve been due to win some close games and they’re finally making it happen.
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