The Las Vegas Raiders only have two games left in what has been a miserable season. The offense actually showed signs of life in Week 16 against the Houston Texans, but they’re still the lowest-scoring offense in the NFL.
The Raiders have a very limited passing game, which has made things difficult for the entire offense. Lack of wide receiver talent is a big reason why the team struggles to move the ball through the air.
The Raiders could address the position in the draft, but they may want to save their early draft picks for other positions. Luckily, in free agency, there’s a No. 1 wide receiver potentially available. Dallas Cowboys wide receiver George Pickens is third in the NFL with 1,342 receiving yards, but he’s on an expiring deal.
Bleacher Report’s Moe Moton believes that the Raiders are among the best fits for the young wide receiver.
“The Las Vegas Raiders don’t have a No. 1 or No. 2 receiver. Tre Tucker is their top wideout who will be under contract in 2026,” Moton wrote. “Rookies Jack Bech and Dont’e Thornton Jr. are still in the early stages of their development.
“On most rosters across the league, Tucker is the third or fourth-best receiver. Star tight end Brock Bowers needs help with the heavy lifting in the passing game. Averaging 16 yards per catch, Pickens can take the top off a defense as a complement to Bowers.”
Pickens is going to cost, but the Raiders have the salary cap space to give him a big contract.
“According to Over the Cap, the Raiders are projected to have the second-most cap space at around $105 million,” Moton continued. “Pickens could earn a hefty annual salary and serve as a primary option in the Raiders’ aerial attack.
“As long as the Raiders keep Pickens out of the casino beyond team curfew, he can be a fit in Las Vegas.”
Pickens Projected to Get Massive Contract
Pickens has always been a very talented player, but he caused some headaches when he was with the Pittsburgh Steelers. That’s why he was traded to the Cowboys in the offseason.
He’s turned around and had the best season of his career. Thanks to the huge numbers he’s putting up, Spotrac has his projected market value at four years, $122.9 million, which is $30.7 million a year. That would make him one of the 10 highest-paid wide receivers in the NFL.
Raiders Have Bad Luck Adding Star WRs
Pickens is a great player when he’s focused. His previous issues with the Steelers and some of the problems he’s had with the Cowboys should terrify a team like the Raiders.
They’ve had terrible luck adding a veteran star wide receiver. Antonio Brown, Randy Moss and Davante Adams are just a few big-name wide receivers the team added but ended up having trouble with.
If Pickens didn’t have any off-the-field red flags, he’d still be a no-brainer, but the Raiders really have to do a lot of work to make sure he’d be a fit, especially in a city like Las Vegas.
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