The Oakland Raiders announced on Friday that they have signed former Detroit Lions and Seattle Seahawks tight end Luke Willson. The terms of the contract were not announced.
Willson is a former fifth-round pick of the Seahawks out of Rice in 2013. The 29-year-old spent five seasons with the Seahawks before playing for the Lions in 2018.
In 14 games (eight starts) for Detroit, Willson caught just 13 passes for 87 yards without a touchdown. In 86 career games, he has 102 receptions for 1,216 yards and 11 touchdowns. His best pass-catching seasons came with Seattle in 2014 when he hauled in 22 receptions for 363 yards and three touchdowns.
With last year’s star tight end Jared Cook departing for the New Orleans Saints in free agency, the Raiders are currently in search of a new starter at the position, and while Willson may not be that, he will help fill the void that Cook left.
The Raiders’ offense has undergone a complete overhaul from last season, trading for Antonio Brown, signing fellow wide receivers Tyrell Williams and J.J. Nelson as well as offensive tackle Trent Brown and running back Isaiah Crowell.
Willson is just the latest addition that should help the Raiders get back to being competitive in 2019 and beyond.
