The Oakland Raiders are looking to sign playmakers on offense including getting help at the tight end position. Mychal Rivera has certainly done well at the position in his two years with the team, but the Raiders could use help in the coming seasons as Derek Carr continues to develop. With that, the Raiders are examining some of the best upcoming free agents and Jordan Cameron could be a priority in March.
According to CBSSports.com writer Jason La Canfora, Cameron has no interest in returning to the Cleveland Browns. The tight end had a breakout season in 2013, but took a step back in 2014 thanks to a number of injuries that hurt his time on the field. However, Cameron will still be sought after in free agency for anyt team in desperate need of tight end help. The Raiders are that team.
La Canfora writes that the mess with Johnny Manziel and Josh Gordon has Cameron looking to jump ship and quickly. It will be interesting to see what king of contract the tight end can ink. In 2014, Cameron had just 24 catches for 424 yards and two touchdowns, but in 2013 he put up 80 catches for 917 yards and seven touchdowns. Cameron could easily work well alongside Carr while staying healthy in a rotation with Rivera.
If Cameron opts to head elsewhere since a lot of teams are looking for a tight end, the Raiders could target someone like Julius Thomas who is not expected to return to the Denver Broncos per the Denver Post. Thomas told the media at the start of the offseason that he has been a long-time Raiders fan, sparking talk of a contract with the team.
Thomas would be a huge signing for the Raiders. The tight end brought in 12 touchdowns on 489 yards while playing most of the season injured. He was Peyton Mannings' safety blanket at times as a big x-factor to the team's success. If the Raiders were to sign Thomas and use their first-round draft pick to get Alabama's Amari Cooper, Oakland could have a solid receiving group for Carr to work with in 2015. The team is also being linked to other big names in free agency in terms of wide receivers and running backs and should have a much more productive offense if things go well.