After struggling to field a full wide receiver unit at times during the 2019 campaign, the Raiders are flush with young playmakers as they hit their first year in Las Vegas.
But is it possible for there to be too much of a good thing?
The Raiders aggressively added skill players to their offense this offseason, starting with their No. 1 draft pick, lighting-fast wide receiver, Henry Ruggs III.
Las Vegas wasn’t nearly done. The doubled and then tripled down on their strategy, selecting versatile playmaker, Lynn Bowden Jr, and WR Bryan Edwards on back-to-back picks in the third round.
Coach Jon Gruden and general manager Mike Mayock also brought former Cowboys tight end, Jason Witten into the fold. And there are talented players already on the roster that need the football to thrive. Will one pigskin be enough for this group?
Offensive coordinator Greg Olson said he loves the competition across the board, and he also said that staying true to the Raiders’ style of offense while diversifying the playbook and personnel groupings is no easy task.
“It’s been difficult,” Olson said during a Zoom call with media Tuesday. “Coach Gruden has mentioned that this morning in scripting plays and using the different personnel groupings. How much do we use the 13 personnel or the 22 personnel, 11 personnel? Again, it’s more about depth and building depth at every position, the skill positions as well as the offensive line. A lot of good problems to try to solve here during training camp.”
Olson also said he didn’t want to leave fullback Alex Ingold out of the equation, either, and Witten makes 12 and 13 personnel stronger, which is another factor to consider.
With Olson mentioning Tuesday that Bowden Jr., who played quarterback in college, is spending time in the QB room as well as the running back room, there are indeed plenty of options for Raiders offense to sort out in 2020.
But with the foundation set a year ago, the Raiders’ new pieces should fall into place fairly easily. Led by QB Derek Carr, the Raiders averaged 5.9 yards per play in 2019, a very respectable rate.
If the offense can uphold that level of execution and add an abundance of talent, the results should reflect the investment made on offense, especially in the red zone, where the Raiders struggled in 2019. Versatility is beneficial near the goalline, even more so when Las Vegas has one of the best running backs in the NFL in Josh Jacobs and a proven offensive line.
While Olson and Gruden do have their work cut out for them, having so many options is a problem they’re undoubtedly ready for. If all goes according to plan, there will be plenty of yards and touchdowns for the Raiders’ skill players to divvy up.
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