Raiders Sign Former Saints WR & Broncos TE, Release 2 Players

The Las Vegas Raiders‘ tight end room might be one of the stronger position groups on the team. Brock Bowers was an All-Pro player as a rookie, while former second-round pick Michael Mayer has shown some exciting flashes.

Despite that, the Raiders are still tinkering with the depth behind those two. The team announced that they have signed former Denver Broncos tight end Albert Okwuegbunam to the roster.

Okwuegbunam first came into the NFL as a fourth-round pick of the Broncos in the 2020 NFL Draft. He lasted three seasons with the team and had a 33-catch, 330-yard season in 2021. However, his role began to diminish, and he was eventually let go after the 2022 season.

He spent the 2023 season with the Philadelphia Eagles, but he didn’t play a regular season game in 2024. Okwuegbunam is an intriguing athlete, so it’ll be interesting to see if the Raiders figure out a way to use him.

In addition to the Okwuegbunam signing, the Raiders also added a wide receiver. The signed Kawaan Baker, who was drafted by the New Orleans Saints in 2021. Baker’s been in the NFL for a while now, but has only played in two career games and hasn’t seen the field since 2021. He was most recently playing for the San Antonio Brahmas of the UFL.

The Raiders are young at wide receiver, so Baker could have a chance to earn a roster spot if he can play well in the coming weeks.

Raiders Release a WR & TE to Make Room

In order to make room for the new signings, the Raiders had to cut a couple of players. The team revealed that wide receiver Kyle Philips and tight end Pat Conroy were the players to get let go.

Conroy was a rookie undrafted free agent who never had a chance to play a game. Philips is a Las Vegas native who played under Chip Kelly at UCLA, but there clearly wasn’t a role for them. Both players will have to hope they can land somewhere quickly to get a chance to play in the preseason.

Pete Carroll Talks Coaching Style

Pete Carroll is entering his first year as the Raiders’ head coach, and his impact has been swift. The vibes around the franchise are much different from what they have been in recent years.

That’s because Carroll is authentically himself no matter where he coaches.

“I only know one way to do it,” Carroll told The Athletic. “I’m not doing anything different than I did when I was coaching at (Pacific) a million years ago. I’m just having fun coaching and making sure I affect as many people as I can. … I can’t ask them to go if I’m not going, so I bring it every day.”

At 73, Carroll is the oldest head coach in the NFL. He could easily retire, but he’s still driven by competition.

“You’re either competing or you’re not,” he said. “I just like battling. I like competing. That’s exactly what it is. The passion was alive and well. In chasing it, we wound up here with the Raiders.”