Raiders Have No Questions With This Position Group

This offseason, Las Vegas' front office has been sure to address both issues with significant moves with quality players and coaches. This being the case, the moves they did not make and the positions they did not address are even more notable.

Raiders' Revamp

Las Vegas made several notable additions. The respective additions of Tyler Linderbaum, Nakobe Dean, and Quay Walker were all, while necessary, essentially splash deals. They were three of the best players available in free agency. This is in addition to hiring one of the best coaches available.

The sizable moves the Raiders made this season were heard around the National Football League. So have the rest of the moves Las Vegas has made. The Raiders also signed Jalen Nailor in free agency and added cornerback Taron Johnson via trade.

In terms of players who have a legitimate shot of making the roster, between free agency and the 10 players they added via the draft, the Raiders added at least one player to every position group except for tight end. That was not by mistake at all, as Las Vegas has not made many of those this offseason.

The Raiders' front office has been extremely detailed. Their decision to quite literally add to every other position group but one speaks volumes. They even added a new position to the offense before adding a tight end. This confirms their rightful confidence in a solid group of tight ends.

The group is led by arguably the best tight end in the National Football League, when healthy, Brock Bowers. His talent speaks for itself and immediately gives the Raiders one of the top groups of tight ends in the league collectively. However, the Raiders' tight end group is deeper than Bowers'.

Michael Mayer would likely be a No. 1 tight end on many teams around the league. About half the teams in the league would gladly take him on. Yet, with Bowers, Mayer has the potential of being a high-end No. 2 tight end, on an improved roster and with better offensive coaching.

Few players on the Raiders' roster have been as impacted by the Raiders' instability at head coach, quarterback, and general manager as Mayer. Each of those instabilities has directly and negatively impacted Mayer. However, Kubiak's arrival suggests Mayer will ascend this season.

Quietly, the Raiders are three deep at tight end, as Ian Thomas gives them a dependable third option behind Bowers and Mayer. Should either Bowers or Mayer continue to deal with injuries as they both have over the past couple of seasons, Thomas can get them through.

Las Vegas' coaching staff is even confident in Carter Runyon and Albert Okwuegbunam Jr. should they ever find themselves in a doomsday scenario where Bowers, Mayer, and Thomas are banged up at the same time. The talent dropoff would be obvious, but that is a testament to Bowers and Mayer.

Still, the Raiders' tight end group was undoubtedly a factor in Kubiak's decision to accept the job and in bringing in Andrew Janocko as his offensive coordinator. Both Kubiak and Janocko have histories with talented tight ends. Janocko recently explained his thoughts on Bowers.

"I've been blessed to be a part of some great tight end groups and be around some great tight end groups, and Brock [Bowers] certainly fits into that, right into those guys. When you have a great tight end that can do stuff for your offense, that can change games, that can change the way you attack defenses,” Janocko said after Organized Team Activities.

“So, just seeing Brock and his approach, he has that approach where he just comes to work every single day, and the guys around him. Same with Mike [Michael Mayer], all those guys in that room, they just come to work, come to work, come to work. They know what to do, they know how to do it, and then they strive to get better."

“So, seeing Brock, seeing Mike in that room, those guys, and then lead the rest of the offense, it's something that we feel very strongly about, and something that, as we grow, it's something we hope that helps to contribute to our success."