If you could pick one thing that has been a strength of the Las Vegas Raiders over the last few seasons, what would it be?
It is understandable if you simply couldn't muster an answer, but I'd be willing to bet that the majority of you still chose the tight end position. And nobody would blame you, as between Brock Bowers and Michael Mayer, the Raiders have boasted one of the NFL's most talented young tight end duos.
But poor quarterback play and atrocious coaching and development have hindered this pair at every turn. Yes, Bowers was still a First-Team All-Pro as a rookie, but Mayer hasn't quite panned out yet. So, just imagine what these two could do with competence under center and at the play-calling post.
Well, Raider Nation might not have to picture it for much longer; it might just be coming across their TV screens this coming fall. It has only taken new head coach Klint Kubiak one training camp practice to finally start delivering on what so many coaches have promised for this tight end partnership.
Klint Kubiak should finally deliver elite TE duo Las Vegas Raiders fans have dreamed of
Las Vegas reporter Alexa Belcastro noted that Kubiak frequently had the Raiders in 12 personnel during the first training camp practice, meaning two tight ends (in this case, Bowers and Mayer) were on the field at the same time. And the team's two young playmakers made sure he didn't regret it.
Raiders.com's Levi Edwards simply stated in his Day 1 takeaways that Bowers and Mayer had good outings, and ESPN's Ryan McFadden brought up the fact that Mayer had the play of the day during the 7-on-7 period, making a diving catch. This is the stuff that Las Vegas fans have dreamed of.
This is inarguably the best grouping for the Silver and Black, especially given their lack of proven receivers. And while past coordinators Luke Getsy and Chip Kelly have implemented this same personnel, they've struggled to find any real success with it.
Kubiak, however, comes to the Raiders fresh off a season in which he led the Seattle Seahawks to the second-highest EPA per play in 12 personnel, according to Sumer Sports, while also utilizing it at the eighth-highest rate. Las Vegas had the fourth-highest rate last year, but the third-worst EPA per play.
Now, this is just a few plays and reports from a training camp practice without the pads on. Kubiak will have to prove to Raider Nation that Bowers and Mayer are the next big thing at tight end, and not just another talking point from every coach who walks through the building and doesn't deliver.
However, based on the information that we have at hand, which is one training camp practice and Kubiak's recent history of having success in 12 personnel, both running and throwing the football, it stands to reason that Kubiak could finally deliver on what fans have waited so long for.
Bowers is already considered the NFL's best tight end, so he can carry a good bit of the offensive load for the Raiders, and Ashton Jeanty can shoulder a lot as well. But Mayer bursting out of his shell under the tutelage of Kubiak would be like Christmas in early July and August.
Yes, the preseason is still quite young. But something tells me that this focus on tight ends is going to stick, and Kubiak will finally be the coach to transform Bowers and Mayer from talented individuals into an unstoppable duo that is even greater than the sum of its parts.
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