NFL rumors: Raiders could cut Michael Crabtree if they sign Jordy Nelson

The Oakland Raiders haven’t made much of a splash in free agency but could be eyeing a replacement for Michael Crabtree in Jordy Nelson.

The Green Bay Packers released longtime stalwart and best buddy of Aaron Rodgers, Jordy Nelson on Tuesday. While he was one of the more popular Packers in recent memory, he is coming off a down year that only saw him accumulate 53 receptions, 482 yards and six touchdowns.

It does appear that Nelson may not be out of work all that long. Not only have the New England Patriots come knocking, so have the Oakland Raiders, as reported by Michael Gehlken of the Las Vegas Review-Journal.

It’s not surprising the Oakland (soon to be Las Vegas) Raiders would seek help on the offensive side of the ball. They finished 23rd in points last year as quarterback Derek Carr played through injury and the offense never clicked. It is surprising the Raiders could potentially replace receiver Michael Crabtree with Nelson.

Crabtree ended with 58 receptions, 618 yards, and eight touchdowns. He’s also a full two years younger than Nelson. It seems a little odd to go with Nelson over Crabtree, especially because Crabtree’s stats point to him being more explosive in an offense that had a down year.

Does Nelson has anything left in the tank? That’s the gamble the Raiders are taking and it came into question during the 2017 season because when Rodgers missed time, Nelson was basically invisible. The majority of his production came from his rapport with Rodgers. It’s no sure thing Nelson and Carr could replicate the same magic he had in Green Bay.

Oakland brought in Jon Gruden to be the new head coach and he is clearly looking to shake things up on offense. Receiver Amari Cooper is hoping for a bounce-back year of his own and Nelson could show him some tricks of the trade.

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Nelson almost certainly isn’t the player he was just a couple short years ago but he can still be a dangerous possession style receiver and give Carr and the Raiders a new red-zone threat. It would be nice to have the trio of receivers instead of just two.