Another veteran wide receiver lands with Raiders
The persuasive skills of Jon Gruden were apparently in full force on Thursday. How else does one explain how the Raiders’ head coach talked wide receiver Willie Snead into cutting short his vacation to come to Henderson to take a free-agent visit?
“We were already here on the West Coast, so it was nothing but a quick plane ride,” Snead said, smiling.
It didn’t take long upon Snead’s arrival Friday for he and the Raiders to come to terms on a contract that adds yet another weapon to a crowded receiver room.
The one-year deal throws Snead into what is shaping up as a fierce battle for playing time alongside newcomer John Brown and holdovers Henry Ruggs, Hunter Renfrow, Bryan Edwards and Zay Jones.
“I invite competition,” Snead said. “And Gruden seems to be all about competing and making guys better. That fits my mold.”
The way Snead described things, it looks like Gruden envisions personnel packages that tap into as many different players and skill-sets as possible. In his case, that means being able to lean on his ability to play all three wide receiver positions.
“In this type of offense, the more you can do, they’ll keep you on the field,” Snead said.
Snead has mostly worked out of the slot through his seven-year career and totaled 275 catches for 3,393 yards and 16 touchdowns. His best years came from 2015 to 2016 with the New Orleans Saints when he had 141 catches for 1,879 yards and seven touchdowns. He’s been with the Ravens since 2018 and is coming off a 33-catch, 432-yard season with three touchdowns over 13 games.
Along the way, he’s played in a handful of big games with playoff teams in New Orleans and Baltimore. Having been to the playoffs every year since 2017, Snead understands what a winning culture is all about and plans to impart that experience on a young team he followed from afar last year and believes is “right on the cusp of being in the playoffs.”
He wants to be a part of the Raiders’ breakthrough.
“I know what it takes to win,” Snead said. “I’ve been a part of winning culture. I’m just excited to have that opportunity to give some of my leadership presence and veteran-style leadership to this organization.”
How Snead actually fits into the offense remains to be seen. Renfrow has been productive out of the slot over his first two years, catching 105 passes for 1,261 yards, and has developed into a favorite of Derek Carr, in particular on third downs.
Meanwhile, the Raiders will be aggressive in pushing to get more out of Ruggs, the 12th overall pick last year, and Edwards, who battled injuries through his rookie season. Brown was signed last week as a free agent to replace Nelson Agholor, who left for the New England Patriots.
In talking to Gruden, though, Snead said he’s confident he’ll find his niche.
“Wherever coach thinks I’ll fit in best for them, that’s where he’s going to put me,” Snead said. “And I’m going to do my best to be successful at it.”
Contact Vincent Bonsignore at vbonsignore@reviewjournal.com. Follow @VinnyBonsignore on Twitter.
