Las Vegas Raiders need to extend Darren Waller immediately
By Brad Weiss
The Las Vegas Raiders have one of the great tight ends in all of football in Darren Waller, and they need to extend him immediately.
Since taking over as general manager of the Las Vegas Raiders, David Ziegler has done a nice job keeping some of the team’s top talent under contract. He extended the likes of Maxx Crosby, Hunter Renfrow, and Derek Carr this offseason, three players who will be keys to the team’s success going forward.
Looking at the roster, and guys who deserve to be extended next, the No. 1 name atop the list is tight end, Darren Waller. Since arriving from Baltimore, Waller has emerged as one of the better players in the league at his position group, and the time has come for the team to make a long-term commitment to him.
Waller is that special blend of size and speed from the tight end position and is an absolute matchup nightmare. With the arrival of Davante Adams, and Renfrow around for the long haul, that trio would carve up opposing defenses for years to come.
Raiders look to become a perennial playoff contender
The offense in Las Vegas should be one of the best in the league in 2022, this if they can get strong play from their offensive line. The line was a real issue in front of Derek Carr last season, as Alex Leatherwood did not pan out as a rookie at right tackle, and injuries decimated the Silver and Black along the interior.
By all accounts, Leatherwood looks like a completely different player this offseason, and if he is what the team had hoped when they took him in the first round in 2021, that changes everything for this offensive line. Carr is bound to have an outstanding 2022 campaign, but he needs Waller to do so, and for the Raiders, extending him and keeping him in the Silver and Black for the foreseeable future has to be priority No. 1 right now.