A new regime coming in can be a mixed bag for incumbent players on an NFL roster. On the one hand, it's a clean slate with a new coaching staff that can be taken advantage of. On the other hand, the inevitable addition of new players can put those incumbent players on the hot seat.
That's where players who have gone through the Las Vegas Raiders' dysfunction of recent years landed when general manager John Spytek and head coach Pete Carroll came in this offseason. But with Carroll, the situation is a clean slate in a culture of open competition. The best man, with no regard for anything but performance, will win.
The Raiders used two, or technically three if you count converted quarterback Tommy Mellott, draft picks on wide receivers this year. Outside of Jakobi Meyers, everyone else was put on notice by the additions of rookies Jack Bech and Dont'e Thornton Jr.
Raiders wideout Tre Tucker tabbed as deep fantasy football sleeper for 2025
During training camp, 2023 third-round pick Tre Tucker has been answering the call to improve his game. He operated as a starter in the preseason opener against the Seattle Seahawks, making a 15-yard reception in abbreviated work.
As proof of the connection that they are building, and further shown during joint practice and the second preseason game against the San Francisco 49ers, Raiders quarterback Geno Smith had a nice comparison for Tucker last week.
"You know, Tre is a guy who works hard every single day. He does all the right things, on and off the field, like a true professional; a true leader," Smith said. "I think he's a spitting image of Santana Moss, and I think he can be a really, really good player. I look forward to all the things we can accomplish together, but, you know, right now, he's in a good spot and we just got to keep working."
Moss had 732 receptions over 14 NFL seasons with the New York Jets and Washington Redskins. He had five seasons with at least 70 receptions and four campaigns with over 1,000 yards. He also had a Pro Bowl selection and a Second Team All-Pro nod in 2005 with Washington.
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At 5-foot-10 and 193 pounds, Moss is a close physical comparison to Tucker, who is 5-foot-9 and 185 pounds. Moss also had a similar slow start to his career before a third-year breakout, which is what Raider Nation is hoping Tucker can do this season.
After Meyers, the Raiders' wide receiver pecking order is up in the air, and it seems likely to remain somewhat so into the season. Even with that in mind, ESPN fantasy football analyst Tristan Cockcroft has taken note of Tucker as a deep sleeper for this year in the midst of the preseason.
"A speedy deep threat, Tucker certainly had his moments in 2024, three times exceeding 15 fantasy points, and saw at least a 20% target share on four occasions," Cockcroft wrote. "He's in line for a much larger role in his third NFL season, indicated by his catching a 15-yard pass on his first preseason play, then swiftly departing the game alongside the other Raiders first-teamers. With Pete Carroll and Geno Smith now in Las Vegas, Tucker is in a much better position to succeed than he was in his first two years. The young receiver has drawn positive marks from Smith and his coaches and could finally be ready to break through."
Tucker has become an interesting final pick candidate in fantasy drafts. Much of anything outside of that is still a stretch, even in a deep redraft league. But the third-year man has gone from completely off the fantasy radar to someone who may make a segment of fantasy managers go "hmm" during their drafts, which is progress.