The wide receiver corps is also stacked with veterans that can lead the way. Hunter Renfrow and Zay Jones are going into their third season with Derek Carr as their quarterback and have established great relationships on and off the field with Carr. Renfrow has found a knack for getting open, accumulating 105 catches and six touchdowns in his first two seasons in the NFL. Jones has connected with Carr for more than 40 catches in his two seasons with the Raiders and has used his time in the desert to reignite his love for football since leaving the Buffalo Bills.
Two others in line for valuable snaps will be free-agent signings John Brown and Willie Snead IV, previously teammates in Baltimore for a season. Brown and Snead will not only be critical in replacing Nelson Agholor's 896 yards and eight touchdowns last season but have extensive playoff experience that can help the Raiders get over the hump and back to postseason play.
"I definitely can see [the Raiders being a playoff team]," Brown said during OTAs. "First, it starts off with respecting each other, and we do that real well. And with the communication on the field, we do a great job with that and these guys, they want it real bad. So, I feel like we're in a great spot."
While the Raiders didn't draft any more receivers, they added a few undrafted rookie free agents in Oklahoma State's Dillon Stoner and Pittsburgh's DJ Turner, who could each be players to watch this Training Camp. Overall, Gruden is excited to see what he can get out of his receivers approaching the upcoming season.
"We've got competition there," said Gruden. "John Brown is a good player. A couple years ago, he had over 1,000 yards. He has great speed. He's learning three positions right now just like 'Nelly' [Nelson Agholor] did at this time. I think he's going to give us some pop. He can really run, get out of routes and he can run a wide array of patterns.
"Willie Snead IV has come in here and he's a real pro. Strong hands, really precise route runner. Tough as hell. He's going to compete with [Hunter] Renfrow in the slot. Dillon Stoner has done well. This DJ Turner, the punt returner from Pitt, very interesting. He's quick, smart. Zay Jones came back ready to go. Our two picks from last year, the guys I've really been focusing on, [Bryan] Edwards looks good and [Henry] Ruggs [III] looks much better than he did this time last year."
"again" - Google News
July 09, 2021 at 02:01AM
https://ift.tt/2VdD3Q7
2021 Position Battle: Darren Waller once again leads a talented group of Raiders pass catchers - Raiders.com
"again" - Google News
https://ift.tt/2YsuQr6
https://ift.tt/2KUD1V2
Bagikan Berita Ini
0 Response to "2021 Position Battle: Darren Waller once again leads a talented group of Raiders pass catchers - Raiders.com"
Post a Comment