With free agency about six weeks away, it’s time to check in on the Raiders’ wide receiver position to give it a condition of either Strong, Stable, Unstable, Serious, or Critical.
Starters: Henry Ruggs III, Tyrell Williams, Hunter Renfrow
Backups: Bryan Edwards, Keelan Doss, Trey Quinn
Free agents: Nelson Agholor, Zay Jones
Another season in which things looked promising at wide receiver only to fall flat. Last season it was the Antonio Brown saga that went sour just before the season and all the bargain free-agent additions the team hoped would step up didn’t. And then Tyrell Williams got dinged up and had a disappointing season.
Well, Williams was hurt again, this time landing him on injured reserve before the season even started. It had the Raiders starting two rookies at receiver for the first three games. And neither Ruggs nor Edwards proved up to the task.
Even in their desperate position, Zay Jones was a complete non-factor. This despite offseason hype that he had finally developed chemistry with Derek Carr and was going to start showing the speed he hadn’t shown since being acquired in trade midway through the 2019 season.
Meanwhile, it was free-agent addition Nelson Agholor who proved to be the best wide receiver on the team. And Hunter Renfrow continued to be the steady, reliable presence in the slot.
Condition: Serious
Agholor is headed for free agency, and he played well enough to earn a lucrative long term deal. The question is if he will get that deal from the Raiders or someone else. While Tyrell Williams is very likely to be released due his high cap number not matching his contributions.
Going into this season without either Agholor or a suitable replacement would be a mistake. Ruggs has not shown he can get open consistently or create separation, which are the primary things he needs to do in order to be the deep threat the Raiders drafted him to be.
Edwards showed even less of the talent he displayed in training camp. You don’t put all your eggs in that basket and hope for the best. That’s a recipe for another disappointing season at the wide receiver spot.
Also, see conditions of:
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