Raiders keep waiting for Bryan Edwards to blossom at WR

It all seems so long ago now, given all that has happened to the Raiders this year. But if you think back far enough, the words of Jon Gruden about young wide receiver Bryan Edwards can still be heard.

Back in August, when the temperatures in Las Vegas hovered consistently over 100 degrees, Gruden turned the heat up even more on Edwards, the Raiders’ second-year wide receiver.

In fact, Gruden went so far as to compare the imposing 6-3, 215-pound Edwards to Hall of Fame wide receiver Terrell Owens.

“He’s going to be a great one. He’s going to be a heck of a player,” Gruden said of Edwards. “He’s got a lot of the intangibles off-the-field that we’re looking for.”

It was meant as a compliment more than anything. Maybe Gruden, being as excitable as he can be sometimes, was trying to talk the whole thing into existence.

Then again, watching Edwards consistently make plays in training camp, using his big body and strength to stretch out to make catches over defenders, it was easy to see why Gruden would be so bullish on the 2020 third-round pick out of South Carolina.

And with Edwards going through an injury-plagued rookie season in which he was targeted only 14 times and came up with 11 catches for 193 yards, it was understandable that Gruden would try to create a bigger stage from which Edwards could perform.

On the flip side, his comments created big-time expectations for the 23-year-old. Especially when Raiders quarterback Derek Carr joined the party by using Green Bay Packers wide receiver Davante Adams, Carr’s former Fresno State teammate, as a comp to Edwards.

Four months and 14 games later, both comparisons seem a bit ambitious. Edwards has taken positive steps in his second season but maybe not the dramatic leap some might have expected.

Edwards has been healthy all season and a mainstay in the Raiders’ starting offense, which certainly represents a positive change from his rookie year.

The numbers are clearly better. He’s been targeted 49 times and come up with 30 catches for 508 yards and three touchdowns. Measured strictly by stats, though, you can make the case this year has been a bit of a disappointment.

But it is difficult to pinpoint the reasons for his struggles. Edwards is averaging just 3.5 targets, which seems conspicuous in light of the release of Henry Ruggs seven games into the season.

It begs the question of whether Edwards isn’t getting open or Carr and the Raiders just haven’t dialed up his number as frequently as everyone assumed going into the season.

To Edwards’ credit, he keeps sticking with it, never complaining about the number of targets he gets from game to game.

“I’ve just learned to enjoy what I do. Just continue to work hard,” Edwards said. “I just try to go out there and do my job, bring good energy and have fun with what I’m doing.”

Edwards did come up with a big touchdown grab in the Raiders’ win over the Cleveland Browns on Monday. On the play, Edwards used good footwork to create just enough separation from Browns’ cornerback Denzel Ward.

Just as Edwards leaned right, he saw the ball coming his way and did a good job adjusting his body and hands to grab it while making sure his feet landed inbounds.

In a split second, he flashed the power, size, athletic ability and catch radius that Gruden raved about during camp.

More than that, it provided a bit of validation for Edwards, who has learned to appreciate the payoffs when they arrive.

“To see it all come to fruition and see all the hard work pay off, it felt really good,” Edwards said.

Whether it signals that he will be getting more targets remains to be seen. The 7-7 Raiders host the 7-7 Denver Broncos on Sunday in a must-win situation, and they would welcome a big day from their young wideout. But part of that is also predicated on Carr looking his way more.

Edwards would like nothing more than to increase his production and the impact he has on the offense. But as he’s learning, it’s all a work in progress.

“Juts continuing to gain trust, continuing to grow as a player and as a person,” Edwards said. “Just develop that relationship with the quarterback. That’s all I can really do.”

That and make sure he makes good when his number is called.

“Anytime the ball comes to you, you have to take advantage of that opportunity. You don’t know when it’s coming again,” Edwards said. “I try to take that approach every time I see the ball coming to me. I try to make some sort of play so it’ll come back.”

Contact Vincent Bonsignore at vbonsignore@reviewjournal.com. Follow @VinnyBonsignore on Twitter.