Raiders News: Tyrell Williams Placed On IR With Season-Ending Shoulder Injury
Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

The Las Vegas Raiders have announced that wide receiver Tyrell Williams will be placed on injured reserve with a torn labrum and miss the 2020 NFL season as a result.

Williams was initially planning to play through the pain this season as he did with plantar fasciitis during the 2019 campaign. However, the team has since opted to take a cautious approach by having him undergo surgery in the coming weeks in order to spend the year recovering.

The loss of Williams deals a critical blow to the passing game for quarterback Derek Carr after he managed to finish the 2019 campaign with 42 receptions for 651 yards and six touchdowns. His absence now opens the door for one of the many new additions to take over quality reps on the outside.

Fortunately, the Raiders appear to be well-equipped to fill the void left by Williams thanks to their efforts in revamping the receiving corps this offseason with the addition of Nelson Agholor, Zay Jones, Henry Ruggs III and Bryan Edwards. Agholor and Jones are optimistic about the change of scenery helping to get their careers back on track. Of course, they have had their work cut out trying to impress with the emergence of Ruggs and Edwards in training camp.

Reports indicate that Edwards is slated to benefit the most from Williams’ absence given his role as the X receiver on offense. This means Las Vegas could be prepared to debut the new receiver tandem that they assembled in the 2020 NFL Draft to help usher in a new era at Allegiant Stadium.

The restrictions placed in response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic made it difficult for new players to get properly acquainted heading into interring camp. This is magnified by the challenges that come with learning head coach Jon Gruden’s offensive scheme. With the 2020 NFL season rapidly approaching, it will be interesting to see how the pecking order is established for their opener against the Carolina Panthers.

As far as Williams goes, he has an $11.5 million salary in 2021 and 2022 with no acceleration, so it would not be surprising to see the Raiders part ways next offseason to save that money.

The Raiders also announced some other roster moves, waiving or releasing defensive end Sharif Finch, guard Jordan Roos, cornerback Nick Nelson, running back Rod Smith and offensive lineman Jordan Devey.