Will Las Vegas Raiders sign DeSean Jackson or Odell Beckham Jr.? A look at both WR options
The Las Vegas Raiders have a need at wide receiver.
Heading into Sunday’s game against the New York Giants, the Raiders receiving corps comprises Hunter Renfrow, Bryan Edwards, Zay Jones and rookie Dillon Stoner.
Former Raider Henry Ruggs III was released by the team Tuesday after he was involved in a fatal collision.
Las Vegas fans now wonder if the team will add a veteran at the position or stick with what it has, but it seems the former is the best bet with the Raiders in the middle of a playoff push.
Among those now or soon to be available are a pair of big names: DeSean Jackson has cleared waivers, while Odell Beckham Jr. is set to hit the waiver wire Monday.
The Raiders and most other teams who will be interested probably will have to wait on Beckham Jr. to see if he clears waivers. That is set for 1 p.m. PST Tuesday. Teams with sub-.500 records have higher priority, such as the Detroit Lions.
The waiver wire order will change after the Sunday and Monday games.
As of Saturday, the Raiders cap space is near $4 million, according to ESPN’s Field Yates. Beckham Jr. is owed $7.25 million, which would be inherited by any team that claims him. A team that signs after he clears waivers is free to sign him at any agreed upon amount.
Sure, the Raiders also have star tight end Darren Waller, but quarterback Derek Carr needs a playmaker like Ruggs showed he could be early in the season.
Renfrow, Edwards and Jones have proven to be capable, but the Raiders don’t have a true No. 1 anymore.
That is what the Raiders need in the second half of the NFL season.
DeSean Jackson
There is no question Jackson, 34, still has the speed that he showed when he entered the NFL with the Philadelphia Eagles in 2008.
Jackson wanted out of Los Angeles because of a lack of playing time with the Rams, but when he was on the field he still contributed in a big way.
In seven games with the Rams, Jackson had eight receptions for 221 yards and a touchdown. That touchdown came against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, a game in which he finished with three receptions for 120 yards in a 34-24 win. His longest reception went for 68 yards, his only catch in a game against the Seattle Seahawks.
Pairing the three-time Pro Bowler with Carr seems like a no-brainer for the Raiders.
Odell Beckham Jr.
Some offshore betting sites have listed the Raiders as the favorites to land Beckham, who is about to be released by the Cleveland Browns.
If Beckham — like Jackson, a three-time Pro Bowler — clears waivers, the Raiders should show interest.
Raider Nation seems on board, but will the Raiders make the phone call?
In Beckham, the Raiders and Carr figure to get a player eager to contribute and prove he’s still close to the guy who posted 90-plus reception years in his first three seasons in the NFL with the New York Giants.
Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James is among those who didn’t like the way Beckham was used in Cleveland.
In his two-plus seasons with the Browns, Beckham had 114 receptions for 1,586 yards and seven touchdowns. He has five 1,000-yard seasons, the last coming in his first year in Cleveland in 2019. He had four 1,000-plus yard campaigns in five seasons with the Giants.
Whether it’s Jackson or Beckham, the Raiders should sign one to give them a legitimate No. 1 wide receiving threat.
