The Las Vegas Raiders were in need of a deep threat at wide receiver with the recent release of Henry Ruggs. There were a number of candidates available to the team but they decided to sign three-time Pro Bowl DeSean Jackson. John Brown could’ve made sense considering he was a free agent and spent the offseason with the team. However, they decided to pass on him.
Now Brown will be going elsewhere. According to Aaron Wilson, the veteran wide receiver has been signed to the Jacksonville Jaguars practice squad.
Brown recently spent some time on the Denver Broncos‘ practice squad before requesting a release. In the past, he was considered one of the better deep threats in the NFL. He suffered a calf injury last season that caused him to miss seven games and it’s possible that he hasn’t fully recovered. He had a 1,000+ yard season as recently as 2019 so it’s a bit surprising that Brown hasn’t found a consistent home this season.
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Has Brown Lost a Step?
GettyJohn Brown #15 of the Las Vegas Raiders catches a pass during training camp on July 29, 2021 in Henderson, Nevada.
Brown has become an impact player due to his ability to stretch the field and catch the deep ball. He had a lot of success with the Buffalo Bills as Josh Allen has a cannon for an arm. There are plenty of teams that could use a deep threat with his abilities but the fact that he hasn’t found a spot on an active roster isn’t a great sign.
The Athletic’s Ted Nguyen noticed that Brown has “lost a lot of speed this offseason.” He also speculated that teams saw the same thing he did.
Brown’s best asset throughout his career has been his speed. He ran a 4.34 40-yard dash when he was coming into the NFL. If he can’t stretch the field like that anymore, then it’s easy to see why teams are apprehensive to sign him. Despite the fact that Jackson is older than Brown, 34 compared to 31, he hasn’t lost too much of his speed yet. That’s why the Raiders ended up signing Jackson.
Can Raiders Offense Get Back on Track?
Before the bye week, the Raiders scored over 30 points in back-to-back games. Fresh off the bye week, the offense came out flat and only scored 16 points against the New York Giants. Ruggs’ absence could’ve played a big role in why the offense struggled but the biggest red flag was quarterback Derek Carr’s turnovers. He threw two interceptions and lost a fumble against the Giants.
Carr is usually very good at taking care of the ball but was just sloppy all game. Adding a veteran like Jackson could only help the Raiders offense. He’s not the player he once was but provides a real deep threat that opposing teams have to be mindful of. The team plays a bad Kansas City Chiefs defense on Sunday at home. That will be a golden opportunity for the offense to get back on track. If they struggle against the Chiefs’ defense, it could be a long season.
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