What Oakland Hands Are Left After Brown’s Headache Departure?
The Oakland Raiders have moved on but to who? Antonio Brown’s bad-boy behavior has been rewarded, and he can now terrorize the New England Patriots‘ locker room. Where does that leave Raider Nation with skill position players? I have heard rumblings about Darren Waller this offseason and how impressive he was at camp according to Rotoworld.com. However, what of the WR Corps?
J.J. Nelson played 3rd to 4th chair in Arizona and was a complete nonfactor in Seattle and now has an opportunity to be the “2” in the black hole. While J.J. is not Antonio Brown, he has the upper-class speed and the ability to run exceptional routes. Nelson has wanted the opportunity to show that he is more than just a Returner. Now that the pressure is on, will he produce? According to ESPN.com, the former UAB player is questionable for Monday’s game against the Denver Broncos with an ankle issue. More info to come by Sunday about his status.
Adam Schefter on Twitter stated that Nelson and Tyrell Williams would be fighting over scraps or snaps for that matter behind Brown. With that headache out of town, the two can work together to help the O thrive.
Williams has more upside than Nelson and has the contract to prove it. In 2018 Williams had to split action with Mike Williams. This season he moves from third to one on the chart.
After pulling in 41 catches for 653-yards and 5-tds last season, Tyrell looks to top those numbers. He was really convincing in an interview today following the news of AB’S release. The former Los Angeles Charger said it was unfortunate about Brown’s situation, but he’s looking forward to the opportunities his departure presents for other players.
I’ll be honest, after the wild night (offseason) and hangover in Oakland, I’m not sure either of the targets will be ready for a boring but functional Donkey’s team come Monday night.