3 storylines to monitor for Raiders game vs. Dolphins
By Levi Dombro
2. Will Tre Tucker step up?
Much was made this preseason about the strides that Tre Tucker made in the offseason.
Players and coaches detailed his intensive offseason work with Aidan O'Connell (who was expected to be the starting quarterback at the time) and raved about his improved strength and hands.
He even got LASIK eye surgery in the offseason, which many felt was going to help his ability to track passes and reel them in.
But none of this has been the case.
Gardner Minshew won the quarterback battle and Tucker had a tough time out of the gates. His biggest performance was at the end of the blowout loss to the Panthers in Week 3 when O'Connell was in for a benched Minshew.
Outside of that game, Tucker has not eclipsed 50 yards in another contest, and has not had more than three catches since Week 4.
Many thought that the absences of Davante Adams and Michael Mayer would kickstart him into more production, but he has fallen short to this point.
Part of the blame is on the quarterbacks, as they have been some of the worst at their position this season. But part of it is on Tucker too, because both Brock Bowers and Jakobi Meyers are still finding ways to get the ball in their hands.
Tucker may see a jolt in his numbers if O'Connell returns to the lineup at any point this season, but good receivers should produce no matter who is throwing them the ball.
The former Cincinnati Bearcat has a ways to go if he wants to be considered a good receiver in this league, but he is still young, and it's only a matter of time before he puts it together.
Let's hope he starts to figure it out this week.