Oakland Raiders GM Reggie McKenzie not interested in acquiring veteran wide receiver – NFL News
Oakland Raiders have been facing a tough situation at wide receiver because of injuries to two of their starting wide receivers.
Amid speculations that they will add at least one veteran receiver like free agent Plaxico Burress, Terrell Owens or Chad Johnson on the roster, Raiders general manager Reggie McKenzie has dusted away all the rumours of signing any of them.
Talking to the San Francisco Chronicle, McKenzie reiterated that the team will tackle the current injury situation with the help of their backup wide receivers. McKenzie said:
"It's not just (their) age. If the right player could add to the group ... we just didn't feel that those three were the right ones. Clear and simple. If I felt like they could have added something to what we were doing, I would have strongly considered it."
Raiders’ prime wide receiver Jacoby Ford will miss a considerable time this season due his foot injury which has eventually led to a surgery to his left foot.
Also, Denarius Moore remains doubtful for Raiders Week 2 game against Miami Dolphins. He is suffering from hamstring injury.
In absence of two of their best wide receivers, Darrius Heyward-Bey will step up and play as the team’s most prominent wide receiver.
Raiders will have to work with some rookie backup wide receivers who include Rod Streater and Juron Criner. They also have veteran Derek Hagan who has played seven seasons in the league.
McKenzie wants to give the young guns the opportunity to groom under the supervision of veterans they currently have on the roster. He said:
"It starts with a foundation and you have to have the guys around long enough to develop and see that development. And we do have a couple of guys ... we were just hit with injuries at that position so early, especially with your No. 1 going down.”
It is likely that Raiders will give more playing time to their young players in the receiving corps and mould them to become better players in future rather than adding talent from somewhere else.
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