2022 was a tough season for Las Vegas Raiders wide receiver Hunter Renfrow. He battled injuries, appearing in only 10 games, and had to learn a new system with Josh McDaniels taking over as head coach. It resulted in the worst season of his professional career.
Hunter Renfrow caught only 36 passes for 330 yards and two touchdowns, which were all new career lows or tied a previous low. It was certainly a disappointing performance after he caught 103 passes for 1,038 yards and nine touchdowns in the 2021 season.
That performance landed Renfrow a nice extension, as he agreed to a two-year deal worth $32 million in June of 2022. That is certainly a manageable contract number for a team to handle, as the Raiders are reportedly open to trading Renfrow this offseason according to Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.
“Meanwhile in Vegas, I’ve talked to a few people around the league who expect coach Josh McDaniels and general manager Dave Ziegler to continue aggressively tweaking the roster. McDaniels is big on “culture fits” and will want his own guys. Teams will be keeping an eye on tight end Darren Waller and wide receiver Hunter Renfrow in that process.”
Both players have had big seasons in years past but have been hit by the injury bug lately. Darren Waller, when healthy, is one of the best tight ends in the NFL. Hunter Renfrow has shown that he is a great slot receiver as well.
One team to keep an eye on for a Hunter Renfrow trade is the New England Patriots. They have brought back Bill O’Brien to be their offensive coordinator, which could lead to some major turnover personnel-wise on that side of the ball.
Jakobi Meyers and Nelson Agholor are both set to be free agents in 2023. Trade rumors popped up centered around Kendrick Bourne and they could come up again during the offseason. Tyquan Thornton has potential, but he may not yet be ready for a featured role. DeVante Parker has No. 1 wide receiver talent, but health remains a concern for him.
Adding a player of Hunter Renfrow’s caliber would help improve the outlook of this offense and provide a replacement for Meyers should New England be unable to retain him. The Patriots could offer a late Day 2 pick or an early Day 3 pick to start negotiations.
New England does have multiple fourth-round picks this year, their own and the Los Angeles Rams’ from the Sony Michel trade. Offering one of those picks and one of the extra sixth-round picks they own could be enough to snag Hunter Renfrow coming off of a down season.
The two franchises are familiar with each other as general manager Dave Ziegler came over from New England to Las Vegas. He brought McDaniels with him and the two teams have already completed two trades with each other in the last few months.
