The latest of the free agency NFL rumors indicate that wide receiver Jordy Nelson is signing with the Oakland Raiders. The news comes as the Raiders are cutting receiver Michael Crabtree to make some room on their upgraded roster. Here’s the latest on Jordy Nelson’s deal with Oakland and the Raiders’ outlook ahead of the upcoming NFL season.
On Thursday afternoon, the NFL Network’s James Palmer reported the news that Jordy Nelson will sign with the Oakland Raiders. The deal is said to be worth $15 million for two years, with $13 million guaranteed for his contract. It’s said that Oakland was a franchise considered to be “desperate” for a player of Nelson’s caliber. He’ll replace receiver Michael Crabtree, who the team recently announced was getting cut after three seasons.
Crabtree had 618 yards receiving and eight touchdowns on 58 receptions this past season, making it his worst season statistically in his career. Nelson had to play this past season with a backup quarterback, as Aaron Rodgers went down due to an injury. In his 2017 season, which also featured throws from Brett Hundley, Nelson finished with six touchdowns and 482 yards on 53 receptions. He will now be paired with another star quarterback, Derek Carr.
Green Bay to the East Bay ?? @JordyRNelson and @RAIDERS agree on a 2-year, $15 million deal (via @89JonesNTAF ). pic.twitter.com/TCw00ecmc6
— NFL Network (@nflnetwork) March 15, 2018
The Raiders finished at just 6-10 last season and were on the outside of the playoffs. The team will now boast a receiving group that includes Nelson, Amari Cooper, Cordarrelle Patterson, Seth Roberts, and Griff Whalen.
Oakland will hope that Jordy Nelson can produce at a decent level for them as he is approaching 33 and is two seasons removed from an ACL injury. The NFL.com website said that Oakland will hope for a season where Nelson gets near 1,000 yards receiving as a “best case scenario.”
BREAKING: @JordyRNelson is headed to the @RAIDERS . @RapSheet and @MikeGarafolo on how the deal got done ?? https://t.co/7oPJqthkGW
— NFL Network (@nflnetwork) March 15, 2018
For the upcoming season, Vegas Insider considers the Oakland Raiders as 30 to 1 favorites to win the Super Bowl in 2019. The team is currently tied with the Dallas Cowboys, Los Angeles Chargers, Seattle Seahawks, and Jacksonville Jaguars for eight overall on the future odds list for potential Super Bowl winners. The odds could update soon based on the addition of Nelson to the Raiders soon, as well as the fact, that Seattle has been losing key members of their roster.
