The Las Vegas Raiders have made it no secret that they still have a few notable voids to fill on their roster if they hope to take that next step in the 2021 NFL season.
The Raiders put an emphasis on revamping their receiving corps last offseason with the addition of Nelson Agholor, Henry Ruggs III and Bryan Edwards. Unfortunately, only Agholor panned out as an integral piece of the offense on a consistent basis and he is set to hit the market as a free agent.
Head coach Jon Gruden has acknowledged the underwhelming debut year from the pair of rookie wideouts. Although he is still optimistic about their potential, it appears the Raiders could be eyeing another potential playmaker to add to this group.
According to NFL Reporter John Clayton, Las Vegas is reportedly interested in signing Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster, Andrew Fillipponi of 93.7 The Fan:
.@JohnClaytonNFL says on @937theFan that the Raiders are very interested in signing Juju Smith-Schuster.
— Andrew Fillipponi (@ThePoniExpress) February 10, 2021
There is no question that the prospect of the Raiders would serve as an ideal contingency plan should Agholor end up elsewhere. After all, Smith-Schuster is coming off a solid year where he registered 97 catches for 831 yards and nine touchdowns.
Raiders quarterback Derek Carr would of course be the biggest beneficiary now that he has a proven playmaker at his disposal. Meanwhile, Smith-Schuster’s presence could also pay some dividends for Ruggs and Edwards to continue focusing on their development into more polished NFL pass-catchers.
Smith-Schuster made headlines last season when he received backlash for his pregame dance ritual on the logos of opposing teams. Regardless, he should still have no shortage of potential suitors on the market once free agency begins.
With wide receiver Tyrell Williams set to be released and quarterback Marcus Mariota reportedly on the trading block, the Raiders should be able to create enough cap space to make a serious run for Smith-Schuster’s services.
Smith-Schuster recently discussed the potential of joining the Raiders, so it seems that the interest is mutual.
