One of the Raiders’ needs coming into the offseason was a veteran receiver. That need grew yesterday when they lost Zach Miller as a free agent. Now all signs point to them looking at replacing Miller with free agent tight end Kevin Boss. The Raiders have also been rumored to be a suitor for former Charger wide receiver Malcom Floyd.
Boss mentioned a few months ago that if the Raiders were to somehow lose Zach Miller, he would be interested in signing with the team as their new starter. He is from Corvallis, Oregon, and attended Western Oregon, so joining the Raiders would be somewhat of a homecoming for him. He was drafted by the Giants in the fifth round of the 2007 draft and spent the first four years of his career in New York.
The Giants liked him enough to let former top pick Jeremy Shockey leave for the New Orleans Saints. Boss put up good numbers in his four seasons with the Gmen. In his last three seasons he averaged 40 catches, around 500 yards receiving, and over 5 touchdowns per season.
At tight end the Raiders currently have returning reserve Brandon Myers, a practice squad hopeful in Kevin Brock, and two rookies in Richard Gordon and David Ausberry.
Gordon and Ausberry were drafted as two parts of one great tight end. Gordon is a great blocker and Ausberry is a converted wide receiver. So far in camp, both have shown promise in the areas for which they are not known. But the Raiders can’t be comfortable going into the season with this group as the only options. Boss would replace the departed Zach Miller to make the Raiders tight end corps at least respectable.
Malcom Floyd has been a productive receiver the past few seasons in San Diego while playing second fiddle to star receiver Vincent Jackson. Last season Jackson held out much of the season and Floyd stepped up well in his absence catching a career high six touchdowns. He put together his two best seasons in 2009 and 2010 with over 700 yards receiving in each season.
Floyd would instantly compete to start with the Raiders but even if he were beaten out by Louis Murphy and Chaz Schilens, he would provide insurance in the likely event that Schilens goes out with injury. All the other remaining productive receivers on the market are divas and therefore would not provide the positive veteran presence the Raiders need.
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