Foster Moreau hasn’t made a big impact as Raiders’ starting tight end yet

Many people, me included, have long wanted to see Las Vegas Raiders’ backup tight end Foster Moreau get more opportunities in the passing game.

Since the beginning of the 2020 season, Moreau wasn’t getting many targets. However, he has gotten more of an opportunity in the past three games after star tight end Darren Waller went down early with a knee injury against the Dallas Cowboys on Nov. 25. On Monday, Raiders interim head coach Rich Bisaccia said Waller is questionable to play at the Cleveland Browns on Saturday.

Moreau has just five catches for 50 yards on 14 targets in the past three games. That is low production for a starting tight end. In the first 10 games, Moreau had 11 catches on 14 targets.

So, it was a bit disappointing to see his production dip once he got more opportunities. Bisaccia noted that the Raiders’ offense is clearly different without Waller in it.

“They are different players, so it’s a different set of confidence,” Bisaccia said. “We have a lot of confidence in Foster doing the roles and the things we’d like him to do, and he’s made plays for us and been productive. But certainly, Waller gives us another element. He’s a guy that can line up outside, he has both receiver skills, and he has tight end skills with his body type. So, he’s been missed.”

Again, I’m a big fan of Moreau and think he has a role in this offense. But this small sample size may show that he is best used as a rotational option than a starter.