The Las Vegas Raiders are one of the teams that are going to be in the market for a wide receiver this offseason. They have two excellent weapons in the passing game in Hunter Renfrow and Darren Waller, but to take the offense to the next level, they need to add at least one more pass catcher.
The team was hopeful that 2020 first-round pick Henry Ruggs III would develop into that threat on the perimeter, but his career is now over after a drunk driving accident ended with a fatality and he was released. Fellow 2020 NFL Draft member, third-round pick Bryan Edwards, has yet to develop into more than a role player.
With Zay Jones hitting free agency, wide receiver is among the biggest needs of Las Vegas this offseason. With Josh McDaniels taking over as head coach after spending years as the offensive coordinator with the New England Patriots, the front office will be looking to bring in some more weapons for him to take full advantage of using.
The team could certainly use a deep threat with Ruggs no longer around, but should not limit themselves to one specific style of wide receiver. They should cast a large net and if that means landing more than one wide receiver, so be it.
One player that could be on their radar is Odell Beckham Jr. Beckham rejuvenated his career with the Los Angeles Rams after being released by the Cleveland Browns. Anyone that believed he was the issue for struggles in Cleveland quickly learned he still had plenty left in the tank to offer, filling in well as the No. 2 receiver behind Cooper Kupp once Robert Woods went down.
However, there are serious injury concerns for Beckham. The ACL tear that he suffered in Super Bowl 56 was the second in less than two years and could keep him sidelined for a majority of the 2021 season.
Beckham will likely be hard-pressed to land more than a one-year deal that pays him between $5-8 million. Teams are unlikely to sign him to a multi-year deal given his injury status and the fact he will turn 30 years old during the 2022 season.
Las Vegas needs someone that can provide an impact from Day 1, so they could look elsewhere with a large chunk of their funds. However, if they were able to sign Beckham and bring him along slowly with another acquisition at the position, such as Davante Adams, Mike Williams or D.J. Chark, the Raiders would have one of the more intriguing skill positions groups in the NFL.
Had Beckham not injured his knee again, the Raiders would be squarely in the mix to add him on a multi-year deal. Unfortunately, the knee injury occurred and his market will be impacted accordingly.
