Hits and misses from Raiders’ offseason moves

Armed with cap space, two first-round draft picks and four picks among the first 100 selections in last April’s draft, the Raiders were well-positioned to significantly improve their roster last offseason.

On paper, that is exactly what they did after a whirlwind free agency and draft secured a handful of players who were expected to make immediate impacts.

As we soon learned, though, on paper and on the field can sometimes be galaxies apart.

Thanks to a combination of miscalculations, an offseason sabotaged by COVID-19 and bad luck with injuries, what was once considered a strong offseason turned out to be a disappointment.

Here is a list of the hits and misses, with some room set aside for players who still remain in the to-be-determined category.

Hits

Nelson Agholor

WR, free agent

There was little fanfare when the Raiders reeled in Agholor after a four-year career in Philadelphia marked by promise unrealized and a reputation for dropping too many passes. Signed to provide depth, Agholor seized an opportunity when a pectoral injury ended the season of Tyrell Williams and injuries to rookies Henry Ruggs and Bryan Edwards slowed their development.

Agholor developed into a trusted weapon of Derek Carr and finished with 48 catches for 896 yards and eight touchdowns to likely earn himself a big pay raise on a new deal.

Nick Kwiatkoski

LB, free agent

A pectoral injury and COVID-19 limited the former Chicago Bears linebacker to 12 games, but he did enough to justify the three-year, $21-million contract he signed last March. Kwiatkoski finished with 68 tackles and was the 20th-ranked linebacker in the NFL, according to Pro Football Focus.

With room to grow, he is expected to be one of the team’s defensive anchors.

Devontae Booker

RB, free agent

Cast off by the Denver Broncos after four seasons in which his use diminished each year, Booker won a job in training camp and finished with 423 yards and three touchdowns on 93 carries. The Raiders could be on the lookout for a bigger back to complement starter Josh Jacobs, but the Raiders would be wise to Booker in the mix.

He showed he’s still capable of providing quality depth.

Misses

Cory Littleton

LB, free agent

The fall from grace of Littleton from the top-five NFL linebacker he was with the Los Angeles Rams to one of the statistically worst linebackers in the NFL in 2020 is inexplicable. On the surface, it makes the three-year, $35.2-million contract he signed a monumental mistake.

Time, though, is on his side. The earnest manner in which he owned his struggles creates hope that a rebound is in store. That, coupled with a new defensive coordinator and a full offseason to get acclimated could be the key that unlocks Littleton.

Carl Nassib

DE, free agent

Signed as a free agent to provide pass-rush pressure off the bench, Nassib never got untracked. By the tail end of the season, he was fighting just to keep his game-day roster spot. Nassib finished as the 55th-ranked edge rusher, according to Pro Football Focus. Nassib’s three sacks represented a sharp drop off from the six sacks he accumulated in each of 2019 and 2018.

His play never justified the Raiders’ three-year, $25.2-million investment.

Maliek Collins

DT, free agent

Collins’ stint on injured reserve late in the season suggests he was playing through an injury throughout the year. Regardless, he never approached the level of play he flashed during his four-year career in Dallas. Collins finished as the 125th-ranked defensive tackle in the NFL.

In the 2018 and 2019 seasons, Collins produced seven sacks and 57 quarterback hurries. With the Raiders, he had 12 sacks and no sacks.

Lynn Bowden

RB, third-round pick, 80th overall

The Raiders out-thought themselves with the drafting of Bowden, who played wide receiver and quarterback in college but was asked to play running back. Bowden never made the adjustment in training camp, and by the end of camp the Raiders gave up on him and dealt him, along with a sixth-round pick, to Miami for a fourth-round pick.

TBD

Henry Ruggs

WR, first-round pick, 12th overall

The first wide receiver taken last April, Ruggs was expected to add speed and dynamic playmaking to the Raiders. While he had some moments — a two-catch 118-yard performance against the Kansas City Chiefs and the game-winning 46-yard touchdown pass against the New York Jets — he also went long stretches without being a factor.

An early-season hamstring and knee issue and a late-season bout with COVID-19 hindered him. And to his credit, his blazing speed changed how opponents defended the Raiders and opened the field for teammates. But it certainly wasn’t the year the Raiders had expected.

Damon Arnette

CB, first-round pick, 19th overall

The Raiders were criticized for reaching a bit by selecting Arnette as high as they did, and the uneven performance he delivered justifies those criticisms. However, a broken wrist cost him seven weeks. And when he returned, he suffered two concussions and missed two more games to further set back his development.

Tanner Muse

LB, third-round pick, 100th overall

Muse was making the switch from college safety to NFL linebacker but was slowed throughout training camp with a toe injury. He ended up on injured reserve and never played a down.

Bryan Edwards

WR, third-round pick, 81st overall

Edwards had two catches for 51 yards and a touchdown against the Denver Broncos in the season finale. But he never got untracked this season. An ankle injury in Week 3 significantly set back his development. The Raiders, however, still remain high on their young receiver.

John Simpson

OG, fourth-round draft pick, 109th overall.

Simpson played seven games in emergency support because of injuries to starters. But as expected, his rookie season was more of a redshirt year as he worked behind the scenes with an eye on a bigger role down the road.

Amik Robertson

CB, fourth-round pick, 109 overall

Much like Simpson, Robertson had a developmental year while making the transition to slot cornerback. He suited up for eight games but played just 35 snaps.

Contact Vincent Bonsignore at vbonsignore@reviewjournal.com. Follow @VinnyBonsignore onTwitter.