The Las Vegas Raiders clearly don't have the talent or cohesion to compete during the 2025 NFL season. They've been blown out just as often as they've competed, and a majority of the cheap veterans that they signed during the offseason haven't exactly answered the bell.
One would think that a 2-6 team approaching the trade deadline would take stock of where they are and look to acquire some draft picks and get a bit younger. After all, that is what fellow lost teams like the Tennessee Titans and Miami Dolphins are doing.
But the Raiders' recent signing of wide receiver Tyler Lockett was emblematic of exactly what head coach Pete Carroll said ahead of the deadline, which is that he is not worried about the future, and the team is trying to get better right now. Only Lockett didn't help the team get better in his debut.
Tyler Lockett's debut makes Raiders fans further question the decision
From a pure production standpoint, Lockett did not contribute anything. He recorded 0 catches for 0 yards, even though he was targeted twice. Of the eight players on the roster who were targeted in Week 9's game against the Jacksonville Jaguars, Lockett was the only one to leave without a catch.
In general, it takes new players a bit of time to acclimate to a new environment and establish a rapport with their quarterback. But Lockett and Geno Smith played together for several years, and as recently as last season, so the learning curve should have been fairly flat.
Lockett does deserve credit for this incredible block on Ashton Jeanty's receiving touchdown, but that was his only contribution. He was also wide open on the game-winning two-point conversion, so he did his job, but Smith hesitated in the pocket and allowed a defensive lineman to get in the way.
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However, Lockett's lack of production -- and a lowly 51.6 grade from Pro Football Focus -- is not just frustrating because he did not impact the game. It is because he took away that opportunity from several young players.
Fourth-round rookie Dont'e Thornton Jr. was a healthy scratch on Sunday, despite beginning the season as a starter. Second-round rookie Jack Bech also did not see the field on offensive, as he was relegated to an exclusively special teams role.
In Week 7, before Lockett's arrival, Thornton and Bech played 30 and 22 of the Raiders' 35 offensive snaps, but they combined for 0 on Sunday. With the season already lost, the franchise should be keeping an eye on the future, but having Lockett around seemingly prevents them from doing that.