The biggest reason the Raiders cut TE O.J. Howard
The Las Vegas Raiders recently made a move with a bigger meaning than you may think.Earlier this week, the Raiders ended up cutting veteran tight end O.J. Howard, a guy who was once looked at as a tight end with a high ceiling when he was in Tampa Bay. Since then, though, things have yet […]
The Las Vegas Raiders recently made a move with a bigger meaning than you may think.
Earlier this week, the Raiders ended up cutting veteran tight end O.J. Howard, a guy who was once looked at as a tight end with a high ceiling when he was in Tampa Bay. Since then, though, things have yet to go his way.
Sure, the move could mean that he wasn't good enough, or the Raiders didn't see anything they liked. However, it could also mean something else, and I'm willing to bet they cut him for this reason and this reason only.
Raiders cut Howard because of TE competition
Several reports from several reporters covering training camp in person have revealed that rookie tight end Michael Mayer and tight end Jesper Horsted have been winning camp so far for their respective position groups.
If the Raiders have these two winning camps and are paying Austin Hooper a good amount of cash, why would they keep Howard around? Why not bring in someone else they think can play special teams and be a good asset elsewhere?
That's exactly what they did, too, as they later signed linebacker Darius Harris, who will likely be a great special teams guy.
According to Vincent Bonsignore of The Las Vegas Review-Journal, Michael Mayer has been holding his own in camp. He had a moment during 11-on-11 where Maxx Crosby dominated him, but he never backed down and consistently got better every rep.
Mayer was a steal in the draft. The Raiders got the best tight end in the entire draft with the 35th overall pick. They wanted Mayer because of the Darren Waller trade, but also they lost Foster Moreau in the offseason. Mayer was a guy that stood out in the pre-draft process because of his offensive skill work, but also being able to block well.
Based on everything we are hearing, the Raiders may have a solid tight-end group heading into the 2023 season.
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Featured Image via Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports
