The Las Vegas Raiders announced that they have agreed to a deal with veteran tight end Ian Thomas, who spent the first seven years of his career with the Carolina Panthers.
Thomas was the Panthers’ fourth-round pick in 2018. In his career, he has totaled 119 catches for 1,062 yards and four touchdowns. However, he appeared in just five games in 2024 and was placed on injured reserve due to a calf injury.
The Raiders do not have a major need at the tight end position, as Brock Bowers established himself as one of the premier players at the position in his rookie season, being named a First-Team All-Pro. But with veteran Harrison Bryant not returning and Michael Mayer being shopped around, Thomas provides a little veteran insurance behind the young star.
Thomas’ best season as a pro came in his rookie year, when he totaled 36 receptions for 333 yards and two touchdowns. The veteran will be looking to get his career back on track, as he has just eight catches over the past two seasons and hasn’t caught a touchdown since 2020.
Overall, it seems unlikely that Thomas will provide a major boost offensively, especially with Bowers dominating the targets. The Raiders still need to add more playmakers on the offensive side, particularly at receiver and running back.
The team did sign Raheem Mostert to boost the backfield, but he is far more suited to be in a committee and is not a lead back on his own. Additionally, Jakobi Meyers remains the Raiders’ only reliable returning player at the receiver position, so keep an eye on the upcoming 2025 NFL Draft to see whether the Raiders make some much-needed additions.
Raiders re-sign CB Sam Webb on one-year deal
On the other side of the ball the Raiders have also seen some important players leave in free agency such as linebacker Robert Spillane, safety Tre’von Moehrig and cornerback Nate Hobbs. The team has been able to keep a few players as well, with the Raiders recently agreeing to re-sign cornerback Sam Webb on a one-year deal.
Webb was primarily a special teams contributor last season, appearing in 11 games but taking just 13 snaps on defense. With Hobbs gone, perhaps Webb will be able to carve himself out a bigger defensive role, but at the very least, he provides some depth in the secondary while maintaining a big role for the Raiders’ special teams unit.
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