The Las Vegas Raiders signed veteran tight end Austin Hooper as one of their replacements for Darren Waller, who was traded to the New York Giants for a third-round pick on March 14. Hooper — along with O.J. Howard — will try to replicate Waller’s production in the Raiders offense.
With voluntary offseason training programs — also known as OTAs — beginning soon, Hooper will begin to prepare for the 2023 season on a new team. It’s Hooper’s third team in three years and his fourth team in eight NFL seasons. He played for the Tennessee Titans in 2022 and had 41 catches for 444 yards and two touchdowns.
Hooper was a Pro Bowl selection in 2018 and 2019 and is hopeful to bring that level of production to Las Vegas. He also thinks he’ll be asked to play a multitude of roles throughout the season, via The Jim Rome Show:
“My super light understanding — until I get to OTAs, this is really just speculation based off what they’re kind of saying — just the ability to play in line, in the slot, be the Y, be the F, whatever, wherever, however they need me to line up. Just kind of like my versatility’s been my biggest strength since I’ve been in the league. So they’re just going to give me the opportunity to do a bunch of different things, whether it be in line, in the slot, outside the numbers, run game, pass game, just understanding the playbook, get ready to go.”
Hooper has been a solid pass-catcher through his first seven NFL seasons but has also been a significant contributor in run-blocking schemes. He’s played for the Titans, Cleveland Browns and Atlanta Falcons during years in which they were near the top of the league in rushing.
The Browns ranked fourth and third in 2021 and 2020, his two seasons in Cleveland. The Falcons ranked fifth in the NFL in rushing during his 2016 rookie campaign.
Hooper also has 19 career receptions, 145 yards and two touchdowns during the postseason, including a Super Bowl run with the Falcons in 2016.
Raiders reportedly almost traded Waller in 2022 offseason
Before the Raiders ultimately dealt their star tight end to the Giants earlier this offseason, they had reportedly planned to make a similar trade in 2022.
Drew Rosenhaus appeared on The Pat McAfee show and revealed that the Miami Dolphins and Green Bay Packers were both potential trade destinations for Waller last offseason. But now, he’s excited to join the Giants.
