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Are we about to be on Hunter Renfrow watch?
According to recent media speculation, maybe so,
“I do not expect his return,” @HondoCarpenter of @SInow regarding Las Vegas #Raiders Pro Bowl wide receiver Hunter Renfrow:
— MLFootball (@_MLFootball) May 16, 2023
Hondo also said “I expect something to happen after June first” pic.twitter.com/M3tsbANxpl
We shall see.
If Renfrow is sent packing by the Las Vegas Raiders next month, it would certainly be eye opening.
Of course, there are reasons why it seems plausible. Renfrow is a slot wide receiver. Yet, the Raiders gave big money to Jakobi Meyers, who played for the Raiders’ brass with the New England Patriots, in free agency and then they used a third-round pick on Cincinnati slot receiver Tre Tucker.
How many slot guys can they have?
Now, on the other hand, Meyers can line up wide and he was given true starter’s money. Plus, Raiders coach Josh McDaniels did use multiple slot receiver sets in New England. And Tucker is also a returner, so he can help that way as well.
But, back to the question of how many slot receivers can one team have, it does seem odd that the Raiders will go the long haul with three similar receivers.
This is a brass that has shown it believes in the players it has brought in rather than players it inherited. So, Meyers and Tucker are McDaniels and Dave Ziegler’s (Las Vegas’ general manager) guys. Renfrow was drafted by the previous regime in the fifth round in 2019.
Yet, making it odd that the Raiders would want to get rid of Renfrow is that Ziegler and McDaniels made him a priority before last season when they signed him to a two-year deal worth more than $32 million. He is a free agent in 2025.
Also, the Raiders gave Renfrow a $4.32 million roster bonus on March 17, the day his 2023 salary fully guaranteed.
So, if the Raiders wanted to move on from Renfrow, they could have done it in the first week of the league season and saved a lot of money. After all, Meyers was already signed by then.
If Renfrow, 27, is dealt, he would be the third player Ziegler and McDaniels extended in 2022 who are no longer on the team, joining quarterback Derek Carr and tight end Darren Waller. That is highly unusual practice in the NFL.
So, there are a lot of odd things in play about Renfrow’s status with the team whether he’s on the roster or not in 2023. He’s kind of the poster child of this regime — their moves don’t show a path of a clear plan.
Hunter's $6.5 million 2023 salary became guaranteed in March. The notion that the @Raiders are going to release him is idiotic. Could someone make a trade offer the Raiders can't refuse? Sure. But cutting him? That's not happening. https://t.co/JhHA6aeaW8
— Vincent Bonsignore (@VinnyBonsignore) May 18, 2023
If Renfrow is on the market after June 1, there should be no shortage of suitors. He has produced at a high level and he is known as an elite route runner. Among the interested teams would likely include the New Orleans Saints, Carolina Panthers, Green Bay Packers, Indianapolis Colts, Cleveland Browns, New England Patriots, Buffalo Bills, Tennessee Titans, Houston Texans and Jacksonville Jaguars,
Again, this just may be media speculation and time will tell. One thing is true, for sure. This team is never dull.
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