One position group that let the 2017 Oakland Raiders down was the receiving corps. The position group was injury-plagued and could not stop dropping the football at will. After seeing both Amari Cooper and Michael Crabtree have over 1,000 receiving yards in 2016, they both got about half of that in 2017. The Oakland offense went in the toilet as the passing game plummeted under Todd Downing’s control.
This is a big reason that Jon Gruden is back coaching the Silver and Black. He has prioritized building a sensational staff, often times trying to hire overqualified coaches for certain positions to build his super staff. There is no better example of this than prying former Green Bay Packers offensive coordinator Edgar Bennett into being his wide receivers coach in Oakland.
This could be a way that Gruden could fast-track Bennett into being a head coaching candidate. Green Bay was in disarray after a disastrous 7-9 2017 NFL campaign. However, this reported hiring is only good for the Raiders going forward. We should expect the Raiders to be more consistent in the receiving game in 2018 under Bennett’s watch.
With Crabtree likely gone in free agency, the Raiders will need to fill that roster spot with a high-end receiver of some sorts in free agency. There are a few guys that could be high-profile signings, while a few could be good under the radar moves. Here are five free agent receivers that could make sense with the Silver and Black in 2018.
We have to believe that we have seen the last of Jarvis Landry with the Miami Dolphins. It was a tough year for the ‘Phins in 2017, as we were never sure if the team was trying to tank or win or whatever. Basically, Landry may not have a role with this team going forward in the Adam Gase era. The Dolphins have prioritized Kenny Stills and DeVante Parker over him anyway.
Landry is a two-time Pro Bowler in his four NFL seasons out of LSU. He has 400 career receptions for 4,008 yards and 22 touchdowns. Though maybe not a top-10 wide receiver in football, he’ll make a bit of coin in free agency as likely a top-15 receiver. Whoever ends up signing Landry on his second contract could be getting a perennial Pro Bowl talent.
In essence, the Raiders could be getting a younger, more talented version of Crabtree in Landry. Crabtree may have had more accolades coming out of Texas Tech than Landry did out of LSU, but wouldn’t Landry be considered the more productive player in the first four years in the league than Crabtree?
What helps the Raiders landing Landry is that he has played alongside other talented receivers before. In college, he was teammates with Odell Beckham Jr. Parker and Stills are great players for the Dolphins. Landry may not be the guy if you’re looking for an elite No. 1 wideout. However, he’d look good in most NFL offensive as a 1a option. He’ll be expensive, but Landry could fit that Crabtree role quite nicely.