Raiders sign TE Luke Willson to one-year deal

Today the Raiders announced they have signed former Lions and Seahawks tight end Luke Willson to a one year deal, replenishing some depth in the tight ends group after the loss of Jared Cook in free agency.

Willson is from LaSalle, Ontario, a suburb of Windsor, and attended Rice University where he caught 78 passes for 986 yards and nine touchdowns over his career there. In the pro ranks, he has been a backup, picked in the fifth round by the Seahawks in 2013. He re-signed for one year there in 2017 and then signed a one-year free agent deal with Detroit last season, where he caught 13 passes for 87 yards.

The seventh-year pro is primarily a blocking tight end who is proficient in a zone blocking scheme, which would explain the Raiders’ interest in him. He can also be a decent option in the passing game, although the Lions elected not to use him as such.

Financial terms of the deal are not known at this time. Willson joins Derek Carrier, Darren Waller, Lee Smith and Paul Butler in the tight ends room, but the Raiders still may address the position in the Draft.