The Las Vegas Raiders are hitting it hard in OTAs right now, and the wide receiver group is getting a lot of interest. It was the one position group that many thought they’d use a lot of resources to address, but the only notable move they made was signing Jalen Nailor in free agency.
They will likely look to address the position more heavily next offseason, but in the meantime, they continue to tinker with the position. The Raiders announced that they have signed veteran wide receiver Brandon Johnson to a contract.
Johnson first came into the NFL as an undrafted free agent signing of the Denver Broncos in 2022. He lasted two seasons before moving to the Pittsburgh Steelers. He spent time on the practice squads for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Steelers and Broncos last season, but didn’t play any games.
He was back with the Steelers this offseason, but they just recently decided to cut him. Notably, Johnson worked with Raiders head coach Klint Kubiak in 2022 when the coach was the passing game coordinator and quarterbacks coach in Denver. They didn’t work together long, but there should be familiarity there.
Over his career, Johnson has caught 26 balls for 335 yards. He’ll have an uphill battle making the roster, but his familiarity with Kubiak could help.
Corey Rucker to Reserve/Injured List
To make room for Johnson, the Raiders had to open a roster spot. They decided to place wide receiver Corey Rucker on the Reserve/Injured List. It’s unclear what exactly ails him.
He was signed as an undrafted free agent this offseason, so he hasn’t had a chance to prove himself much yet. It’s still early in the offseason, so they’ll be a chance for him to get on the field and try to earn a roster spot.
Tre Tucker Developing Into Leader
The Raiders’ wide receiver room is very young heading into the season. 25-year-old Tre Tucker is the longest-tenured Raider in the group.
He’s coming off a career year and Kubiak has signled him out as a player he’s excited about. Tucker has learned a lot during his brief time in the NFL.
“Obviously, you don’t want to have multiple different offensive coordinators [because] you can’t play in the same system, but you can’t look at the negatives,” Tucker told reporters recently. “The positives, I was able to learn different schemes, different terminology [and] just seeing different things. And I think that’s helped me now because a lot of things we’re doing, I mean, the NFL is the NFL, everybody runs the same plays, they just call it different, so you know the coaching points, and you get to learn more.”
Tucker is now looked upon as a leader, which is a role he feels comfrotable in thansk to some of his previous mentors on the team.
“I was very fortunate to have some great guys in my room when I was a rookie, which helped me grow as a person and as a player,” Tucker said. “So that’s my whole thing with those guys, is how can I make them better and how can I help them in any way possible?”
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