There were many reasons the Las Vegas Raiders offense had a subpar season last season. The Raiders' offensive roster lacked talent in critical areas, and many pieces on offense simply did not fit well with what the Raiders were trying to do offensively. This led to a season entire of lackluster play from one of the highest-paid offenses in the National Football League.
The Raiders offense had talent at some prominent positions, including arguably the best wide receivers in the league, Davante Adams, and one of the best running backs, Josh Jacobs, entering last season.
In last season’s NFL Draft, the Raiders traded up in the second round to add to an offense with many talented and capable pass catchers. Tight end Michael Mayer was one of the best tight ends to enter the NFL in many years, which is why the Raiders front office was confident enough to trade away an additional pick to get Mayer on the team.
Last season, the Raiders coaching staff struggled to find ways to get Mayer involved early, partially because the team had so many other receiving options and partially because the coaching staff rightfully wanted to work on his blocking skills for an offense that featured the prior season’s leading rusher.
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Every pass catcher, whether receiver or tight end, is called upon to be a dependable blocker to receive targets, and Mayer admittedly needed to work on his blocking. Still, even as time progressed, the overall feeling surrounding Mayer was that the Raiders had yet to scratch the surface of Mayer’s long-term potential.
Earlier this offseason, the Raiders hired a new general manager, Tom Telesco, who, in his very first draft, had a potentially generational tight end fall right to the Raiders, who were holding the thirteenth overall pick in this year’s NFL Draft. Telesco wisely selected Brock Bowers from Georgia, intending to pair Bowers and Mayer together, forming one of the best tight end duos in the league.
The addition of Bowers could lead some to believe he could take targets and catches away from Mayer. However, Bowers will undoubtedly receive much attention from opposing defenses, as will the Raiders' receiving unit of Adams, Jakobi Meyers, and Tre Tucker. The Raiders also have three running backs: Zamir White, Ameer Abdullah, and Alexander Mattison. When added to the receiving options mentioned earlier, these three give opposing defenses numerous offensive threats to focus on come game day.
This could bode well for Mayer , as it should lead to him receiving some favorable options this season. It will be up to the second-year tight end to show his true abilities and take advantage of the opportunities Offensive Coordinator Luke Getsy will undoubtedly find him.
