The Las Vegas Raiders are gearing up for joint training camp practice with the San Francisco 49ers and then a preseason game against them. With a new front office and coaching staff in place, the roster continues to be a work in progress.
The wide receiver room has been one to watch this offseason. Jakobi Meyers is the only player who is locked in as a starter this season. The team continues to tinker with the group and is bringing in another name.
The Raiders announced on Monday that they’ve signed Marquez Callaway to the roster. This will actually be his second stint with the team. He briefly spent time in Las Vegas during the 2023 season, but wasn’t able to get on the field during the regular season. He played two games with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers last season, which is likely why he was on general manager John Spytek’s radar.
Callaway was once an up-and-coming player. He led the New Orleans Saints with 698 receiving yards in the 2021 season. He hasn’t been able to reach the same heights since. He has more experience than most of the other Raiders’ wide receivers, so that could give him an advantage in trying to make the active roster.
Raiders Waive Kawaan Baker
The Raiders did have to open up a roster spot in order to make room for Callaway. Wide receiver Kawaan Baker was the one who got the axe.
Unfortunately for Baker, he only had a week with the team to try and earn a roster spot. He wasn’t able to do enough in that short time span to earn a longer run on the roster. Similar to Callaway, Baker got his start with the Saints.
He was in the UFL earlier this offseason before landing with the Raiders. If he can’t get back on an NFL roster, he can always fall back on the UFL.
Raiders WR Corps Still Facing Questions
The Raiders have some exciting young players in their wide receiver corps. Fourth-round pick Dont’e Thornton might challenge for a starting spot, and second-round pick Jack Bech has shown some promise.
However, according to Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer, wide receiver is still a big question mark for the Raiders.
“As for that work, receiver is a position with a lot of moving parts. Meyers is the mainstay, and looks like someone Smith will be able to rely on right away,” Breer wrote. “But past the team’s trusty slot, there are a lot of questions. How quickly will rookie Jack Bech get up to speed?
“Can Smith’s arm strength finally unlock Tre Tucker’s downfield ability? I’d say it’s a fair bet that you’ll see tight ends Brock Bowers, the skill group’s biggest star, and veteran Michael Mayer on the field together a lot to mitigate the problem.”
The Raiders’ wide receivers have serious potential. Tucker’s speed makes him a scary deep threat, Thornton’s size makes him a matchup nightmare and Bech’s physicality should take advantage of smaller cornerbacks. This group could be great, but they’re too young right now to know for sure.
