The Las Vegas Raiders got a boost to the offense when they agreed to terms with Jakobi Meyers in free agency.
Meyers turned himself into the New England Patriots’ most consistent receiver the past couple of seasons and now reunites with Josh McDaniels to bring his experience to Las Vegas. While not a superstar by any means, Meyers is a smart wideout who understands how to get open, giving his quarterback a reliable option.
The former Patriot joins a wide receiver room headlined by Davante Adams, but he believes the entire position group is intelligent.
“It’s definitely a smart room, and not even just the top. It’s not a top-heavy room,” Meyers said. “Actually, the guys who most people wouldn’t think to name are kind of some of the guys who got a lot of talent and make a lot of plays are smart guys and they would probably be the first one to answer questions. So, it’s been actually a good challenge, just making sure I got to be in there, on my stuff every day because I know every guy from the top down is going to be on their job, so it’s been fun truly.”
Along with Meyers and Adams are Hunter Renfrow, DeAndre Carter and rookie third-round pick Tre Tucker. It’s a versatile group of savvy route runners and speedsters, so McDaniels should have more success with moving the ball downfield with more capable weapons at his disposal.
Offensively, the Raiders look fine on paper and should be able to score enough on a weekly basis. Meyers gives them a legitimate No. 2 option behind Adams and his presence should also help Renfrow find more room underneath as he excels in the slot.
It’s early, but so far the vibes around the silver and black seem positive, and it’ll be interesting to see how Meyers and the rest of the group fare when the games matter.
Jakobi Meyers calls Raiders defense hungry
Aside from the offense gelling, the defense has been turning heads during the summer with their strong play. Defense has been the Raiders’ Achilles’ heel the past several seasons, but the current unit is impressive with their speed and physicality so far.
Maxx Crosby is looking to build off another stellar season, while veterans like Chandler Jones and Marcus Peters are hoping for bounce-back years. Along with the young talent, Meyers couldn’t help but call the defense hungry.
