The Las Vegas Raiders have their starting tight end locked in with Michael Mayer looking to take a big step forward in his second season. But with backup Austin Hooper leaving to join the New England Patriots in free agency, the team needed to add some depth at the position.
And they have done just that as the Raiders have agreed to a one-year deal with former Cleveland Browns tight end Harrison Bryant, via Myles Simmons of Pro Football Talk:
Tight end Harrison Bryant is headed to Las Vegas.
The Raiders have agreed to sign Bryant to a one-year deal, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
Schefter’s report notes the contract is worth $3.25 million with a maximum value of $4 million.
Bryant was a fourth-round pick of the Browns back in 2020 and just finished his rookie contract with the team. His numbers were down this past season, but that was largely due to David Njoku taking a huge leap and thus limiting his time on the field.
Bryant played just 33% of the Browns’ offensive snaps last season, the lowest mark of his career. He finished the year with 13 catches for 81 yards and three touchdowns. However, he has shown to be a solid and reliable player, with 89 catches for 791 yards and 10 touchdowns.
The Raiders won’t be relying on Bryant to be a gamebreaker on offense but rather a solid, supplementary piece of the puzzle. Davante Adams and Jakobi Meyers will be the main targets in the passing game with Mayer being the primary tight end. But when he has needed to step up in a more prominent role, Bryant has proven capable, and the Raiders will be looking for exactly that this season.
Raiders sign QB Gardner Minshew II to two-year deal
As for who will be throwing the ball to all of those weapons including Bryant, it could be the Raiders latest addition at quarterback. The team signed veteran Gardner Minshew II to a two-year, $25 million contract.
Minshew spent time with the Jacksonville Jaguars and Philadelphia Eagles before having the best season of his career with the Indianapolis Colts last year. In 13 starts with the Colts, he threw for 3,305 yards and 15 touchdowns.
As it currently stands, Minshew and Aidan O’Connell are set to battle for the Raiders’ starting quarterback job, though the team could always choose to add someone in the upcoming NFL Draft.
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