Getty Las Vegas Raiders WR Willie Snead.
As the Las Vegas Raiders still search for help in the secondary, they’ve taken a break to look at a wide receiver. It was reported by ESPN’s Adam Schefter that the team was bringing in Willie Snead for a visit. The visit went well and the Raiders will be signing the veteran wide receiver.
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Snead has been in the NFL for quite some time now. He got his start with the Cleveland Browns but broke out with the New Orleans Saints. He quickly became a consistent target for Drew Brees over his first two seasons playing for the team. He saw his role decrease each year and eventually made his way to the Baltimore Ravens. Snead started 29 games for them before hitting free agency this offseason.
Over his career, he’s caught 275 passed for 3,393 yards and 16 touchdowns. While Snead isn’t an elite wide receiver, he’s a solid veteran with a history of solid production. The Raiders didn’t really need wide receiver help after signing John Brown but Snead will get plenty of opportunities to make the team.
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How Snead Fits With Raiders
While the Raiders seemed pretty set at wide receiver, they wouldn’t have signed Snead if they didn’t think he could make an impact. He could be an intriguing fit with the team. He’s only 5-foot-11, which is about the same sizes as Brown and Henry Ruggs. However, he’s not nearly as fast.
He ran a 4.62 40-yard dash before entering the NFL. Snead won’t be a deep threat as he’s more of a slot receiver. Obviously, the Raiders already have Hunter Renfrow, who is developing into one of the better slot receivers in the NFL. That doesn’t necessarily mean they can’t add another player with experience in the slot. Snead can also play on the outside if need be. There’s no guarantee he’ll end up making the team but he will push players like Zay Jones and Keelan Doss, who should also be competing for a spot on the roster.
WR Could Be Issue for Raiders
Last season, the Raiders selected Ruggs and Bryan Edwards in the draft hoping they would be the team’s top wide receivers. That didn’t end up happening as Nelson Agholor stole the show for most of the season. With Agholor off to New England, the Raiders need to hope that Brown replaces his production or that Ruggs and Edwards step up.
Las Vegas does have talent at wide receiver. If Edwards and Ruggs are as good as they were advertised before the season, they could make an elite duo. However, there wasn’t a lot during the 2020 season that indicated that either player is elite. The Raiders are putting a lot of faith into those two young wide receivers. Ruggs and Edwards could end up making or breaking the offense in 2021. The Raiders have relied far too heavily on tight ends and running backs over the last few years. It’s time to start getting the wide receivers involved.
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