Raiders Pushed to Reunite With Veteran Free Agent WR

The Las Vegas Raiders offense is coming off a rough season, but they should be in for a quick turnaround in 2025. Geno Smith is coming in at quarterback, and Chip Kelly will be calling the plays.

Tight Brock Bowers, wide receiver Jakobi Meyers and running back Ashton Jeanty are going to create a fearsome trio, but the Raiders still may need at least one more piece for the offense to reach its full potential.

Meyers is a very good No. 2 wide receiver, and the depth behind him is very young. The Raiders’ offense could use at least one more veteran wide receiver who can play like a No. 1 from time to time. One free agent who could make sense is Amari Cooper.

CBS Sports’ Cody Benjamin believes the Raiders would be a great fit for the veteran wide receiver.

“The Raiders certainly made offense a priority this offseason, acquiring Geno Smith via trade, then spending a first-round pick on Ashton Jeanty, giving the silver and black two cornerstone playmakers when you include second-year tight end Brock Purdy,” Benjamin wrote. “The one area that could still use veteran help is wide receiver, and Cooper knows the franchise well, beginning his career with the Raiders and briefly working alongside current quarterbacks coach Greg Olson. If they’re serious about competing immediately under new head man Pete Carroll, it makes sense they’d use some of their excess salary cap space on a pass target.”

Would Cooper Be up for a Reunion?

Cooper was the No. 4 pick of the Raiders in the 2015 NFL Draft and made two Pro Bowls in a little less than four seasons with the team. However, things didn’t end well when he was traded to the Dallas Cowboys during the 2018 season.

That was nearly seven years ago, and the team had a completely different front office and coaching staff. Coming to play with Pete Carroll could be appealing to a player like Cooper.

Plus, this might be one of the best openings where he can see significant targets. If the Raiders are willing to pay him, it’s hard to imagine he’d turn them away without listening. Perhaps the idea of finishing what he started with the Raiders could rejuvenate him late in his career.

Could Dont’e Thornton Earn a Starting Job?

The Raiders might not feel too keen on adding another wide receiver due to how Dont’e Thornton has looked in offseason workouts. He’s an athletic marvel, and he’s been showing that he’s further along in his development than many expected.

If he gets to training camp and lights up the field, the Raiders may feel comfortable with him at WR3 to start the year. General manager John Spytek certainly sounds high on him.

“Mark [Davis] joked that was the Al Davis pick of this draft,” Spytek said previously, via Raiders.com. “The height, weight, speed, raw traits, athleticism, speed, and I think it’s just focusing on what he can do and what he can be. … You watch his target tape, I think it’s pretty impressive. And we think he hasn’t hit his ceiling yet.”