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The Las Vegas Raiders don’t have a lot of good options on offense, and you could make a strong case that they really only have one. Brock Bowers was just named the best tight end in the NFL by Jeremy Fowler of ESPN, and the Raiders are putting a plan in place to get as much out of him as possible.
"We've got to get the most out of Brock," Kubiak said in a piece written by Ryan McFadden of ESPN. "He's been successful in college and high school with whoever's coached him. Can't say enough great things about him. Love his work ethic. He is a standard-bearer."
Comments like that come with the automatic need to back them up, and McFadden provided the example of a recent practice where new QB Kirk Cousins wanted to throw an inside fade route to the tight end. Cousins is new to Bowers’ unique skill set, so he asked backup quarterback Aidan O’Connell abut whether the play was viable.
"And Aidan kind of gave me the look, like, 'Is that a serious question?'" Cousins said. "He's going to be able to do that. Is there anything he can't do?'"
Cousins went on to recount his experience with tight ends in the past, and he referenced a player who’s not usually brought up as a comp.
"I remember in Washington, [former tight end] Jordan Reed was arguably our best eligible there, and he became kind of the Joker that you were able to use in unique ways, and Brock [Bowers], in a lot of ways, is that," said Cousins, who played with Reed in Washington from 2013 to 2017.
But Bowers production dropped precipitously last year, largely due to a knee injury in the season opener against the New England Patriots, and the tight end never really recovered from the injury.
"Definitely wasn't how I planned my second year to go, but a little adversity, and I've just got to come back stronger this year," Bowers said. "I'm ready for whatever they want me to do. Everyone saw the success [Seattle] had last year, so I mean, we're just trying to see what they did well and try to build into our own offense."
That offense will be built in part around Bowers, who’s one of the few tight ends in NFL who can take over a game. That’s impressed others on the Raiders offense as well, including former Minnesota Vikings receiver Jalen Nailor, who was brought in as a free agent to provide production for a group that struggled last year.
"He's very different," Nailor said when he was asked about Bowers. "What he brings to the table, it's been nothing but amazing."
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"We've got to get the most out of Brock," Kubiak said in a piece written by Ryan McFadden of ESPN. "He's been successful in college and high school with whoever's coached him. Can't say enough great things about him. Love his work ethic. He is a standard-bearer."
Comments like that come with the automatic need to back them up, and McFadden provided the example of a recent practice where new QB Kirk Cousins wanted to throw an inside fade route to the tight end. Cousins is new to Bowers’ unique skill set, so he asked backup quarterback Aidan O’Connell abut whether the play was viable.
"And Aidan kind of gave me the look, like, 'Is that a serious question?'" Cousins said. "He's going to be able to do that. Is there anything he can't do?'"
Cousins went on to recount his experience with tight ends in the past, and he referenced a player who’s not usually brought up as a comp.
"I remember in Washington, [former tight end] Jordan Reed was arguably our best eligible there, and he became kind of the Joker that you were able to use in unique ways, and Brock [Bowers], in a lot of ways, is that," said Cousins, who played with Reed in Washington from 2013 to 2017.
But Bowers production dropped precipitously last year, largely due to a knee injury in the season opener against the New England Patriots, and the tight end never really recovered from the injury.
"Definitely wasn't how I planned my second year to go, but a little adversity, and I've just got to come back stronger this year," Bowers said. "I'm ready for whatever they want me to do. Everyone saw the success [Seattle] had last year, so I mean, we're just trying to see what they did well and try to build into our own offense."
That offense will be built in part around Bowers, who’s one of the few tight ends in NFL who can take over a game. That’s impressed others on the Raiders offense as well, including former Minnesota Vikings receiver Jalen Nailor, who was brought in as a free agent to provide production for a group that struggled last year.
"He's very different," Nailor said when he was asked about Bowers. "What he brings to the table, it's been nothing but amazing."
Continue reading...
