One of the first big surprises of the 2024 NFL Draft was the Las Vegas Raiders taking tight end Brock Bowers with the No. 13 pick. It was a surprise that Bowers was still on the board and also a surprise Las Vegas would target him considering they used a second-round pick to add Michael Mayer last year.
According to the June 14 episode of Roku Channel’s “NFL Draft: The Pick Is In,” it was revealed that the Raiders had an opportunity to trade down and add a second-round pick if they wanted. The Los Angeles Rams were all-in on trying to get Bowers but were stuck at No. 19 in the first round. This led to general manager Les Snead calling Raiders general manager Tom Telesco to try and move up to No. 13.
“I was wondering if y’all would like to go to 19. We’d give you our 52, ask for your fourth back, 112,” Snead told Telesco.
Telesco clearly said no and the Rams’ Bowers dream died. The Rams also made multiple trade offers to the New York Jets to get Bowers but they wouldn’t budge either. The team clearly valued the former Georgia tight end.
Should the Las Vegas Raiders Have Accepted the Trade?
Adding a second-round pick to drop down six spots isn’t a bad deal. The Raiders were rumored to be in on the top cornerbacks in the draft and no cornerback had been taken before the Rams picked at No. 19. Las Vegas would’ve gotten their choice of cornerback while also adding a second-round pick.
Considering the Raiders really didn’t have a need at tight end, it must have been an appealing offer. However, Bowers might end up being the best player in the entire draft. It’s easy to see why the Raiders fell in love with him.
Also, Snead is one of the best general managers in the NFL. If he’s calling to try and get Bowers, that’s a good sign that the right player is atop your draft board. There was previous criticism that Bowers wasn’t the player the Raiders want and they just panicked when they selected him. This news about the Rams trying to trade up appears to squash that narrative as the team clearly had a way to move down while adding decent draft capital.
Antonio Pierce Not Concerned With Slow Start From Offense
The Raiders weren’t a great offensive team last season and early signs in minicamp showed that there hasn’t been much improvement since the season ended. However, it’s still early as there’s over a month before training camp starts.
Head coach Antonio Pierce isn’t too concerned with the early offensive struggles.
“We’ve still got training camp,” Pierce told reporters during his June 13 press conference. “So that’s the good part. This is what I would say, and I know it might come up in the other question. I don’t think the offense is behind. I think the offense is where every team that has a new offensive coordinator and head coach, is at right now.”
The Raiders may be a defensive team going forward but there are too many good pieces on offense for the team not to score a lot of points.
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