The Las Vegas Raiders have gotten some solid performances from their wide receivers in training camp, but the group seems light on depth. Tre Tucker and Jalen Nailor are the favorites to start, and rookie Malik Benson seems to have the edge for the third spot.
Jack Bech hasn’t been making waves, and Dont’e Thornton has pretty much disappeared. The Raiders seem to know that their wide receiver needs some work, as they were taking a look at a top free agent.
According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, who was on the “Pat McAfee Show,” the Raiders were among the teams that reached out to Stefon Diggs about a possible signing. He ended up landing with the Washington Commanders.
Diggs had played with quarterback Kirk Cousins in the past, so he was a logical player to target. However, the Commanders are closer to competing for a Super Bowl than the Raiders are right now.
Diggs is 32 and only has so many years left of being an impact player. It wouldn’t have made much sense on his end to join a team that is still rebuilding. The Raiders may need to go back to the drawing board.
Available WRs Raiders Could Still Target
Deebo Samuel and Diggs are off the market now, so the Raiders’ options are dwindling. Tyreek Hill is still a free agent, but it sounds like he’s not healthy yet.
Keenan Allen may be their best available option. He’s 34 now, but he had 777 receiving yards last season. He could still be somewhat of an impact player.
DeAndre Hopkins is a free agent, but he recently took a coaching job, so he’s likely done playing. At this stage, the Raiders aren’t likely to find much of an upgrade at the position. It could be better just to stay put and see what they have in their current wide receivers.
Gary Kubiak Visited Raiders
The Raiders hired Klint Kubiak to be their head coach based on his own merit, but it’s worth mentioning that his father is a Super Bowl-winning head coach. Gary Kubiak has been away from the NFL for several years now, but he’s staying close to the Raiders.
He visited the team for a recent training camp practice. Raiders assistant head coach Mike McCoy goes way back with the older Kubiak, having played quarterback under him in 1995. He was excited to see the coach at practice.
“Gary is a phenomenal coach and person,” McCoy told reporters. “To have your kids do what they do, it’s such a cool thing. It’s awesome to see him here.”
McCoy also compared Gary Kubiak to his son, Klint.
“They coached the players extremely hard, and then they also loved them up. They let them know that, ‘Hey, we care about the people also,’” McCoy said. “Klint’s the exact same way. The importance of family and what that means. Gary did a great job where he’s been, and Klint’s done a great job here building the culture. We’re gonna coach the guys hard, but we’re also going to take care of you as a human being and love you up. We care about you.”
Raiders Reached out to Star Free Agent WR Before He Signed Elsewhere