Though last year was Tyrell Williams’ first as a Raiders wide receiver, he feels 2020 will be a fresh start, and not simply because the franchise has moved to Las Vegas.
Williams has his own reasons to believe so. First of all, the Raiders are set to welcome a bevy of wideouts, including their No. 1 draft pick, Henry Ruggs III, and third-round selection, Bryan Edwards.
The Raiders also acquired free agent WR Nelson Agholor and drafted “Joker” Lynn Bowden Jr., one spot ahead of Edwards.
Another reason is an absence of distractions at the position, which the team had an excess of in 2019 with the shenanigans of former NFL wide receiver Antonio Brown. Williams told The Athletic’s Vic Tafur about his optimism after Tafur asked about new blood in the receiving corps.
“I’m excited, man. Adding speed and athleticism and that is going to push the guys we have coming back, it’s going to push us all. You add two draft picks, shoot, the other guys are going to think that their spots are being taken. And not only will it bring up so much competition, but it’s going to help us have an identity.
Last year, we obviously had so much distraction that we never got to have an identity as a receiver room. But this year, we’re going to be able to dial in and make it known who we want to be as a group.”
The influx of talent and the absence of distraction at WR is a major reason to be excited about the Raiders’ chances in 2020. After Brown’s explosive exit just before the 2019 campaign, the group was a mere fraction of what coach Jon Gruden had in mind.
There were injuries as well, with Williams suffering from plantar fasciitis in both feet for most of the season and WR Hunter Renfrow suffering a rib injury against the Jets. Still, quarterback Derek Carr and the offense churned out yardage at a high rate, finishing No. 9 in the NFL in passing yards.
To paint a picture, Williams and Renfrow were the only wide receivers with more than 40 receptions, with tight end Darren Waller pacing the club with 90 grabs. Carr is about to have plenty more options in Las Vegas.
Ruggs has speed to burn. Edwards is the big-body, goal-line-ready wide receiver Carr has been missing, perhaps since Andre Holmes left the club. Agholor is a former first-round pick with solid NFL production, and Bowden is poised to loosen the defense from any angle.
And they’ll all be in the WR room learning how to attack the defense as a unit, without the petty distractions Brown provided a year ago. There’s such a thing as addition by subtraction. The Raiders not only did that, but they also added an array of impressive talent. It appears Williams can’t wait to get started.
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