Battling a knee injury, Raiders star tight end Brock Bowers is set to practice in full this week.
The Raiders are looking to get a boost from the return of their star tight end Brock Bowers. Bowers has missed 3 games with a knee injury as well as taking the bye week to recover.
Initially, Bowers attempted to play through the pain before taking time to rest. Bowers was the TE2 overall in Week 1, but finished between TE13-20 Weeks 2-4. Ideally, Bowers will return to form against a Jaguars defense that ranks 23rd vs. the tight end position. If Bowers plays this week, fire him up with confidence!
Author: Jeremiah Retzlaff (@coachretzlaff1)
Las Vegas Raiders tight end Brock Bowers caught 12 of his 13...
Las Vegas Raiders tight end Brock Bowers (knee) remains ...
Las Vegas Raiders tight end Brock Bowers (knee) did not ...
Veteran wide receiver Tyler Lockett signs with the Las Vegas Raiders after asking for his release from the Tennessee Titans.
After asking for his release from the Tennessee Titans wide receiver Tyler Lockett is signing with the Las Vegas Raiders. The signing reunites Lockett with quarterback Geno Smith from their time together with the Seattle Seahawks.
In 2024 Lockett had 49 receptions for 600 yards and 2 touchdowns with the Seahawks and Smith was his quarterback. At this point in his career Lockett is a role player and adds veteran experience to the Raiders locker room.
Lockett doesn’t appear to have much left now but the Raiders have struggled on offense most of the season since Brock Bowers has been injured. Lockett shouldn’t be counted on as even a wide receiver three on fantasy teams but could be used as a desperation start.
Author David Leonard Jr. (@RealDelcoDave)
In a survey of NFL executives, coaches, and scouts, Brock Bowers emerges as the top ranked tight end.
The verdict is in on the NFL’s top 10 tight ends. ESPN surveyed NFL coaches, executives, and scouts to get a ranking on the best tight ends in the league. After a superb 2024 rookie campaign, Brock Bowers takes the No.1 spot.
Bowers had 112 receptions on 153 targets in 17 games played and was the TE1 in fantasy. Bowers surupasses George Kittle who is an originator of Tight End University. Travis Kelce falls from the top spot down to 5 as he enters his age 35 season.
A very interesting wrinkle to the rankings are both Ravens tight ends Mark Andrews (6th) and Isaiah Likely (8th) making the list. This respect around the league for Likely shows how strong a tight end room the Ravens have. There has been growing pressure on Andrews to be traded and fantasy gamers wishcasting Likely to the top of the Ravens depth chart.
While this survey is mere opinion, it gives incredible insight to how each player at the position is viewed. Fantasy rankings are rampant and this survey is unique in that it peels back the curtain on how the NFL’s decision makers think as far as player evaluation.
Author: Jeremiah Retzlaff (@coachretzlaff1)
The Raiders rookie wide receivers are heading in opposite directions on Underdog.
The Las Vegas Raiders are not considered a team that is deep at wide receiver. Jakobi Meyers is an ever present value in best ball as he is going in round 6 on Underdog as the WR40. The offense is set to run through tight end Brock Bowers and stud rookie running back Ashton Jeanty in 2025.
With Jakobi Meyers being the best Raiders wide receiver by default, it leaves opportunity for another receiver to emerge. After the 2025 NFL Draft it was initially believed that Jack Bech would be the logical player to rise in Pete Carroll and Chip Kelly’s offense. Instead, it is Dont’e Thornton who is catching plenty of buzz as he has stood out in minicamp.
As this word has gotten out it has sent the two rookie receivers in opposite directions. In the last week on Underdog, Thornton has risen 9.7 spots into the early 17th round. Divergent from Thornton has been Jack Bech who has fallen 6.5 spots into the early 13th round.
Bech was selected in round 2 of the NFL Draft while Thornton went in round 4. There is still an appropriate gap in drafts, but as fantasy gamers get wise to Thornton’s ability the gap will certainly close. Clicking both Bech and Thornton at ADP will help build unique lineups and will be particularly unique when stacking with quarterback Geno Smith.
Author: Jeremiah Retzlaff (@coachretzlaff1)
The Las Vegas Raiders have hired Chip Kelly as their new Offensive Coordinator and Greg Olson as QB coach.
The Las Vegas Raiders, in the midst of restructuring their coaching staff under new head coach Pete Carroll, have brought in two veteran coaches to handle the offense. Chip Kelly has been hired as the Offensive Coordinator, and Greg Olson will take over as the quarterbacks coach. Both coaches bring extensive experience from both the NFL and championship-caliber college football.
Kelly, 61, has previously served as the head coach for the Eagles, 49ers, and the University of Oregon and UCLA. Most recently, Kelly was the Offensive Coordinator for the 2024 National Champion Ohio State Buckeyes. He joins a growing list of successful NCAA coaches making the jump to, or returning to, the NFL after National Championship bids, including Jim Harbaugh, Todd Monken, and Ryan Grubb. All three saw significant turnarounds with their new NFL teams in their first year, something that is a pressing need for owner Mark Davis, new GM John Spytek, and Carroll. Kelly has long been regarded as an innovative mind, and the tape from the Buckeyes’ 2024 season shows he hasn’t missed a step.
Olson returns to the Raiders for his third stint, having previously served as the Offensive Coordinator in Oakland. His last NFL stop was as quarterbacks coach in Seattle in 2023 under Carroll. While the Raiders’ plan at quarterback for 2025 remains uncertain—given the upcoming free agency period and NFL Draft—the team must be confident that regardless of whether they sign a free agent, draft a quarterback in an early round, or proceed with Aidan O’Connell, the offense will be in knowledgeable hands.
Kelly’s reputation is built on increasing the speed and efficiency of the offense, which has implications for fantasy players like tight end Brock Bowers and wide receiver Jakobi Meyers. Bowers, already considered TE1, will likely continue to play a major role in the offense. Meanwhile, Meyers, who thrived in 2024, is expected to return to a slot role, where he is best suited. Bowers has already established himself as one of the best rookie receivers in history, and Meyers will look to build on his breakout season. The Raiders will need to add a true “alpha” receiver to fill the role once occupied by Davante Adams before he was traded to the New York Jets. The futures of the quarterbacks and running backs, including Zamir White and Alexander Mattison, remain uncertain.
Writer: Brendon Booth (@bigbonededFFB)
The Las Vegas Raiders and Pete Carroll have reportedly agreed to make Carroll the new Raiders Head Coach.
The Las Vegas Raiders concluded their disappointing 2024 season by relieving Head Coach Antonio Pierce and General Manager Tom Telesco of their duties. In an attempt to reconstruct the leadership of the team, the Raiders have hired John Spytek as GM, and have reportedly reached a deal with Pete Carroll to be the Head Coach.
Spytek, with his previous connections to Tom Brady, helped build a Super Bowl champion in Tampa, and Carroll won his own ring as the HC of the Seattle Seahawks, so the respective legacies aren’t in doubt. The fact that Carroll is 74 years old, and the contract is only a 3 year deal, allude to more turnover in the Raiders’ near future, which is a head scratcher. Mark Davis had the opportunity to hire someone younger and more “fresh” with the idea of building a lasting program. Instead, it seems the idea is to allow Carroll to put pieces in place that will carry on what he builds, when he, inevitably, departs.
The team personnel, free agency, and draft implications remain to be uncovered as Spytek and Carroll begin to build the coaching staff. Offensive Coordinator is up for grabs and the future of Defensive Coordinator Patrick Graham is uncertain.
Author: Brendon Booth (@bigbonededffb)
