Despite their win over the New England Patriots, the Las Vegas Raiders could target free agent wide receiver Tyler Boyd. According to a report, the Raiders may pursue Boyd this upcoming week as they’re looking to salvage their receiver unit after the abrupt Amari Cooper retirement. It’s easy to see why the Raiders would look into signing Boyd, as he could be a cost-effective offensive weapon for quarterback Geno Smith. The news continued to get worse for the Raiders at one point in the offseason after their top pass-catcher, Jakobi Meyers, requested a trade, but he’s staying with the team.
However, it doesn’t mean the Raiders shouldn’t get Boyd, as they’re lacking veteran experience in their receiver core group. Behind Meyers, they only have Tre Tucker and Dont’e Thornton, who have been making headlines as a rookie this past training camp. While they did elevate Justin Shorter and Jack Bech from the practice, none of these options are efficient for long-term success that would give Smith the toolkit to make a deep playoff push. This is where Boyd comes in and provides some much-needed stability that could pay its dividends if he signs with the Raiders.
Originally selected in the 2016 NFL Draft, the former Pittsburgh product spent most of his career with the Cincinnati Bengals before fading into the shadow of standout Tee Higgins. He spent one season with the Titans, recording the lowest amount of receiving yards, but these three other teams could revive his career.
Report: Raiders Linked to Former Second-Round Pick Tyler Boyd
Other Possible Suitors
Los Angeles Chargers
Despite picking up the Week 1 win over the Kansas City Chiefs, the Los Angeles Chargers should still be in the market for a wide receiver. Keenan Allen, Ladd McConkey and Quentin Johnston all had their fair share of flashes during the matchup, but the biggest question is whether they can be consistent? Even if they plan to keep the offensive weapons they have now, it wouldn’t hurt to add another receiver.
Boyd would probably only play in a situational role, so the other receivers wouldn’t need to worry about getting fewer snaps. It just gives a bit more stability for quarterback Justin Herbert.
Dallas Cowboys
Meanwhile, the Dallas Cowboys are lacking separation in the aerial attack. While Dak Prescott had quite an impressive performance, it wasn’t enough to get the Week 1 win over the Eagles. The focus was on CeeDee Lamb and Jake Ferguson getting most of the looks, but what about George Pickens and Jalen Tolbert? These are the two receivers that should receive some more opportunities, and that could happen if they sign Boyd to create that separation to help Prescott find an open Pickens or Lamb down the field.
Washington Commanders
The Washington Commanders eyeing Kendrick Bourne means the team is in the market for a wide receiver. If they don’t get the chance to get him, then they should at least fill the depth chart behind Terry McLaurin, Deebo Samuel and Luke McCaffrey. Boyd isn’t going to be the most explosive weapon nor get a lot of looks, but he could have a couple of burst plays to move the chains.
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