Getty Kansas City Chiefs WR Marquise Brown.
The Las Vegas Raiders are struggling to get consistent wide receiver production this season. Jakobi Meyers and Tre Tucker are the only wide receivers on the roster with more than 16 receptions this season.
The Raiders will need to address the position in the offseason and could look to free agency. Marquise “Hollywood” Brown joined the Kansas City Chiefs in the offseason in hopes of increasing his value but he hasn’t played a game this season due to a sternoclavicular injury.
The former first-round pick has had an inconsistent career but still has a lot of upside. If the Raiders want a cheap option to address their wide receiver need, Alex Ballentine of Bleacher Report believes Brown makes sense.
“There’s a strong likelihood that the Raiders will be breaking in a new quarterback next season,” Ballentine wrote in a Dec. 2 column. “If they continue to lose, they should be looking at the top quarterbacks in the draft. Assuming they are starting a rookie next year, they will need the best weapons they can get.
“Marquise Brown is likely to be an under-the-radar free agent next season. He’s proven himself as a solid No. 2 option in an offense. He has missed the whole season so far with a sternoclavicular injury, but he could return by the end of the season. He’ll have the final stretch of games and the postseason to earn a new contract. If he does that, he would be a good deep threat for whoever is at quarterback for the Raiders next season.”
Raiders Already Have Speedster WR
Brown’s best attribute is his speed. Prior to entering the NFL, he ran a 4.27 40-yard dash. That kind of speed can be very good for an offense but the Raiders don’t have a need for a speedster wide receiver.
Tucker is one of the fastest players in the NFL and showed off his speed in the Week 13 loss to the Chiefs when he broke free for a 58-yard touchdown reception. If the Raiders had a quarterback who could throw the ball downfield more consistently, Tucker may make more of an impact.
He still has potential so the Raiders would be better off adding a big X-receiver than another speedster like Brown.
Other WRs for Raiders to Consider
Luckily for the Raiders, this is a good offseason to need a wide receiver. Tee Higgins is the best available free agent. He’d make a lot of sense for the Raiders. He’s only 25 and his 6-foot-4 frame would make him the perfect X-receiver for Las Vegas.
The problem with Higgins is that he’s going to cost over $20 million. The Raiders may not want to spend so much on one position with so many other needs. If they want to go for more budget-friendly options, Chris Godwin or Keenan Allen could be options.
Stefon Diggs will also be a free agent but the Raiders may not be keen on adding a high-maintenance wide receiver after trading away Davante Adams. The team may also want to address the position in the draft and focus their salary cap space on other positions.
