The Las Vegas Raiders made a bittersweet decision last week before roster cutdowns to bring back wide receiver Amari Cooper. While his first tenure with the team ended unceremoniously, this gave him a shot at redemption with the Silver and Black.
Unfortunately, the reunion did not last long, as Cooper suddenly retired on Thursday afternoon, just days before the season opener against the New England Patriots. While rookie Dont'e Thornton Jr. is now under a microscope, the team may need more reinforcements once again.
After letting another rookie wideout, Tommy Mellott, leave and take a spot on the New Orleans Saints' practice squad, the Raiders may need to look outside the building for help. Fortunately, a solid option just became available for them.
Raiders should sign Kendrick Bourne after Amari Cooper's retirement
During roster cuts last week, the Patriots released veteran wide receiver Kendrick Bourne. Although he made the initial 53-man team in New England, he was the odd man out as Mike Vrabel and Co. began to shape the team they wanted ahead of Week 1.
Bourne immediately drew interest, and he visited both the San Francisco 49ers and Washington Commanders earlier in the week. However, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, Bourne has elected to sit out Week 1 and reassess his options over the weekend.
While Bourne thought he was picking between the 49ers and Commanders, the Raiders should absolutely throw their hat in the ring after Cooper's retirement. Bringing Cooper in was a sign that they were not satisfied with the receiver room, and that sentiment is not gone with Cooper retired.
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In eight NFL seasons, Bourne has caught 292 passes for 3,714 yards and 22 touchdowns, splitting his career between the 49ers and Patriots. Last season, in just 12 games, he caught 28 passes for 305 yards and a touchdown.
He has certainly lost a step since his career year of 55 catches for 800 yards and five touchdowns in 2021 with the Patriots. BUt Bourne still has plenty in the tank to supplement the Raiders' pass-catchers on an offense suddenly in need of help.
At this point, Bourne should not cost much, but Las Vegas has ample cap space to make a move happen anyway. When the team is done focusing their attention on Week 1's matchup against the Patriots, Bourne should be the first person that John Spytek and Pete Carroll call.