2017 Raiders Free Agent Preview: Pierre Garcon
Despite gaining respectable receiving yards in 2016, Raiders WR dropped far too many passes. As a result, drives stalled out. Michael Crabtree lead the league with 9 drops. Additionally, slot receiver Seth Roberts dropped five passes. It is likely that the high number of drops resulted in the Raiders finishing a disappointing 24th in the NFL in 3rd down conversion rate (36%). The Raiders’ chances of winning a Super Bowl certainly improve with the addition of a reliable third-down possession receiver.
Free agent wide receiver Pierre Garcon doesn’t garner the press he should. Suprisingly, Garcon stood eighth in receptions over the last 4 years with Washington. Garcon owns sticky fingers, runs excellent routes, blocks well and plays with physicality . His rugged playing style certainly compliments the finesse of Amari Cooper and Michael Crabtree.
While Carr excels in spreading the ball around, adding an established possession receiver like Garcon opens the field. In that case, Garcon’s presence would force teams to pay less attention to Cooper. As a result, his numbers fell in the second half of each of his first two seasons in the NFL. Crabtree is a bonafide intermediate-to-deep threat. However, no receivers to make a living in the middle, especially the tight ends, who have failed to contribute consistently in recent years. Therefore, the addition of Garcon could also benefit TE Clive Walford.
At the age of 30 and less flashy than other free agent wide receivers, Garcon’s price tag is more reasonable than younger receivers. The Raiders could always use more character players, especially in light of the expected departure of DT Dan Williams. Garcon expressed an interest in playing out his career in Washington. Yet, his contract runs out in March. Perhaps a chance to play with a QB like Derek Carr is too irresistible to pass up. Should the Raiders not sign Garcon, one would only hope that they target a similar type of receiver in the 2017 NFL draft.
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