Raiders Pushed to Pursue All-Pro WR to Replace Davante Adams

Getty Tampa Bay Buccaneers WR Chris Godwin.

The Las Vegas Raiders offense continues to struggle and much of that is due to poor quarterback play. The team is going to be aggressive in trying to add a quarterback in the offseason but they need to make sure that quarterback is set up for success.

Following the trade of Davante Adams, the Raiders’ wide receiver corps is very thin. They’ll need to address the position in the offseason and that could lead them to a star veteran. Alex Ballentine of Bleacher Report believes that the team needs to go after Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Chris Godwin.

“The Raiders’ decision to trade Davante Adams was probably the right one, but it leaves a massive hole in the Raiders offense,” Ballentine wrote in an October 28 column. “Replacing Adams is more than a one-man job, but whoever is playing quarterback for the Silver and Black next year is going to need help. Preferably, some of that help will come from a proven veteran.

“Chris Godwin’s future in Tampa Bay could be murky with Godwin suffering an ankle injury that ended his season. He was having a strong season before the injury, but he’ll be 29 this offseason and is looking for a new contract. He would be an ideal candidate for the Raiders to bring in and anchor the receiving corps for a new quarterback.”

Raiders Can’t Pay Too Much for Chris Godwin

Godwin was having an excellent season before his season-ending ankle injury. He had 576 receiving yards and five touchdowns in seven games. However, this is the second time since 2021 that Godwin has suffered a season-ending injury.

He’s also going to be 29 in February. Godwin is a very good player and has proven he can bounce back from injury but it’s hard to imagine any team outside of Tampa Bay will want to give him big money coming off the ankle injury.

The Raiders need to focus on youth and shouldn’t overpay for an older wide receiver. That said, if he’s not too expensive, he’d make a lot of sense. A veteran wide receiver who knows how to get open is a great thing for a young quarterback. If he’s only looking at a contract that pays him close to $10 million a season, he could be worth looking into for the Raiders.

Raiders Could Go After WRs in Draft

Jakobi Meyers is the Raiders’ WR1 right now and he’s under contract through next season. After him, the team is very thin at the position. Tre Tucker has shown flashes but he seems best suited to be a No. 3 wide receiver.

Meyers could be a solid No. 1 wide receiver but he’s likely better off in the No. 2 spot. The Raiders are eventually going to want a true star wide receiver. The team could heavily invest in the offense in the 2025 NFL Draft.

Quarterback is obviously the biggest priority but wide receiver is also a major need. If the Raiders don’t need to trade up to get a quarterback, they have plenty of draft capital to play with. While the defense needs work, the offense is a disaster so general manager Tom Telesco could look to use early picks on wide receiver, offensive line and running back once he lands his quarterback.