Despite many calls for the Las Vegas Raiders to make a move at wide receiver in recent moves, the team has decided against adding any notable names. Even with former stars like Stefon Diggs, Tyreek Hill and DeAndre Hopkins still available, the team hasn’t seemed to make any calls.
Any veteran who is still a free agent likely comes with some baggage, but that doesn’t mean the Raiders can’t bring in one. New head coach Klint Kubiak may be more inclined to bring in a wide receiver he has worked with before.
He spent a year coaching Deebo Samuel when they were both with the San Francisco 49ers. The former All-Pro is a free agent right now, and CBS Sports’ Jordan Dajani named the Raiders as one of the best landing spots for him.
“The Las Vegas Raiders are one of the most-improved teams on paper. They added Kirk Cousins and Fernando Mendoza to the quarterback room, then Kwity Paye, Quay Walker, Nakobe Dean, Taron Johnson and Treydan Stukes on defense,” Dajani wrote.
“Headlined by Tre Tucker, Jalen Nailor, Jack Bech and Dont’e Thornton Jr, receiver may still be an area of weakness. Pairing a veteran slot weapon like Samuel with a veteran signal-caller like Cousins makes sense. As it stands, Brock Bowers is the only offensive weapon that can be relied on in Sin City.”
Samuel Talks Ongoing Free Agency
Samuel is coming off of a solid year with the Washington Commanders. He had 727 receiving yards. He’s 30 now, but should have some juice left in the tank.
Samuel doesn’t think he’s slowing down and is trying to find the right team before he commits.
“I’m going on Year 8 … I still feel like I got a lot, at least like three, four good years left,” Samuel said on a video posted to YouTube. “It’s kind of been tough, not even going to lie to you. All the free agency stuff going on, waking up in the morning, looking at your phone, seeing if your agent hit you and was like, ‘This team is interested,’ or things along those lines. And it’s been kind of like a roller coaster. Been through a lot, not just ball. With me and how I play this game it’s just like no matter what I’m going through, no matter what I’m doing, if I’m able to perform, I’m going to go out there and put it on the line for my team.”
Is Samuel the Right Fit for Raiders?
Samuel does make sense for the Raiders. He’s not an X-receiver, which is what the team really needs. However, he has familiarity with the type of offense Kubiak wants to run.
He’s not the same gadget player he was in the past, but he proved last season that he can still make plays as a wide receiver. If the price is low, signing Samuel would be a logical move for Las Vegas. From Samuel’s perspective, he may want to play for a team that is closer to competing for a Super Bowl.
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