If the Raiders want to compete with the likes of the Kansas City Chiefs and Baltimore Ravens in the AFC, they need to become a high-powered offense. Period. While they aren’t quite there yet, there are signs that it could happen sooner rather than later.
In Derek Carr’s second season under Jon Gruden, he improved across the board despite lackluster wide receivers. A big reason why Carr was more successful last season was the development of tight end Darren Waller. The former Georgia Tech star became one of the league’s best tight ends in just one season.
In a recent article by Bleacher Report, they discussed every team’s reason to be optimistic heading into training camp. For the Raiders, it was the potential of a dynamic passing offense. Here is a snippet of the site’s thoughts on the potential high-flying offense, including blurbs on Waller and Henry Ruggs:
Tight end Darren Waller goes into year three with the Raiders after logging 1,145 yards and three touchdowns in a breakout 2019 campaign. Wideout Tyrell Williams can stretch the field. He averages 16.1 yards per catch for his career. Hunter Renfrow capped his rookie term with back-to-back 100-yard performances in the last two weeks.
The Raiders drafted arguably the most dynamic pass-catcher in Henry Ruggs III, who recorded a 15-plus-yard gain on 38.2 percent of his receptions in 2019, per Pro Football Focus.
With all of the resources the Raiders have spent improving their wide receiver corps over the offseason, it would be surprising if the team didn’t take a major jump on offense. If players like Ruggs and Bryan Edwards can contribute in 2020, this offense could be among the most explosive in the NFL. And if that happens, the Raiders will be able to compete with anyone in the conference.
