Las Vegas Raiders: Grading offensive free agent additions
Las Vegas Raiders: Grading offensive free agent additions
John Brown – Wide Receiver, Buffalo Bills
The Raiders needed to replace the production of Nelson Agholor after his cameo appearance in Silver and Black and they appear to have done just that with the addition of John Brown. Brown has been a number one receiver in his career and has been a very productive player at every stop throughout his career.
Drafted in the third round in 2014 by Arizona, Brown made an instant impact in his rookie season with nearly 700 yards and 5 touchdowns and had his first 1,000-yard season in 2015. He continued his high production when healthy with Arizona, did the same in Baltimore in 2018 as their number one target, and had another 1,000-yard season with Buffalo in 2019.
Brown has a slighter build than Nelson Agholor at 5’11, 180lbs but he is faster than the former Raider and can provide yet another deep threat for Derek Carr. He has posted a career yard per reception average of 14.8 which is more than 2 yards more than Agholor’s career average of 12.5 though he did post an absurd 18.7 in 2020.
The takeaway from this signing is that the Raiders hope to see much more from Henry Ruggs and Bryan Edwards but the addition of John Brown gives the group a lift and takes some of the pressure off those two youngsters. They will still be expected to produce but having a veteran like Brown in the mix that can still take the top off defenses should be a massive boost for the offense.
Perhaps the best part of the deal is the value as Brown signed a 1-year $3.75 million deal which could be worth up to $5 million in incentives. The Raiders have plenty of needs on defense and along the offensive line so signing a potential number one receiver for a figure that low is a huge win for the organization and gives Brown a platform to earn a larger deal next offseason.