After many years of ineptitude, the Las Vegas Raiders are hoping that the upcoming NFL season will be the start of a new era and a resurgence for them.
They have made the playoffs just twice since 2002, but they have a prominent new head coach in Pete Carroll and a new quarterback in Geno Smith who made the Pro Bowl in 2022 and 2023.
While the Raiders have an absolute stud at tight end in Brock Bowers and a solid wide receiver in Jakobi Meyers, neither seem like true No. 1 options.
They could use someone at that position who is a proven threat, and luckily, there just happens to be a free agent who has not only been a Pro Bowler but is also a former teammate of Smith and has played for Carroll.
USA TODAY For The Win writer Cory Woodroof predicted in a recent article that veteran wideout Tyler Lockett will end up heading south to reunite with Smith and Carroll in Sin City.
"Lockett can rejoin coach Pete Carroll and quarterback Geno Smith in Las Vegas, as both know how dangerous Lockett can be, even at this point in his career," Woodroof wrote.
Lockett made the Pro Bowl as a rookie in 2015 back when Carroll's Seattle Seahawks were still in their "Legion of Boom" era with 51 catches for 664 yards and six touchdowns plus 379 punt-return yards and 852 kick-return yards.
He led the NFL with 949 kick-return yards in 2017, and he went over 1,000 receiving yards four straight times from 2019 to 2022.
Last season, he posted 600 receiving yards and two touchdowns on 49 catches, but he has fallen on Seattle's list of offensive priorities due partly to the emergence of Jaxon Smith-Njigba.
The Seahawks have reconfigured their offense by trading D.K. Metcalf to the Pittsburgh Steelers and bringing in wideout Cooper Kupp and QB Sam Darnold, and perhaps it is time for them to also let go of Lockett.
