The Raiders have officially released second-year wide receiver Henry Ruggs III after he was charged with a felony DUI with murder on Tuesday. It was a move the team had to make and did so rather quickly.
While it feels odd to talk about the loss of Ruggs on the field, it is something we must do considering he was a big part of the offense. Through seven games, Ruggs averaged 19.5 yards per reception for the Raiders and caught at least three passes in six games.
With Derek Carr becoming a more aggressive quarterback throwing the ball down the field, he needs someone with elite speed to help stretch the defense. Unfortunately, there is just no one on the roster with that type of speed that can fill the void left by Ruggs.
However, one of the best deep threats in NFL history just became available on Tuesday. DeSean Jackson announced on his Instagram that he and the Rams would be parting ways, opening up the door for him to be claimed (or signed) by another team.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CVyYWQZhJhN/?utm_medium=twitter
While Jackson is no longer a No. 1 receiver or even a full-time starter, he can still stretch the field. With the Raiders using Darren Waller as their de-facto No. 1 receiver, Jackson could easily fill the shoes of the deep threat in this offense.
Jackson is 34 years old and has had some trouble staying healthy over the last three seasons, but the Raiders don’t really have many other options to add speed to their offense. This feels like a perfect fit for both parties and it would be surprising if there wasn’t serious interest from the Raiders.
Look for Jackson to ultimately sign with a team within the upcoming days and be ready to contribute by Week 10. And for a team like the Raiders, who are in playoff contention, they need him more than anyone else.
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