Oakland Raiders: What rookie TE Foster Moreau brings to the offense
By Nico Di Fede
![GAINESVILLE, FL - OCTOBER 06: Foster Moreau #18 of the LSU Tigers runs for yardage during the game against the Florida Gators at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium on October 6, 2018 in Gainesville, Florida. (Photo by Sam Greenwood/Getty Images) GAINESVILLE, FL - OCTOBER 06: Foster Moreau #18 of the LSU Tigers runs for yardage during the game against the Florida Gators at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium on October 6, 2018 in Gainesville, Florida. (Photo by Sam Greenwood/Getty Images)](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/shape/cover/sport/507b1969eb4d2381436d9b9daca41db6da9ff8116046253925c3a06af4b3c02a.jpg)
B. . Stats: 1 Rec, 14 Yards, 14.0 AVG, 0 TD, Targets: 3, Drops: 0. . VS. FLORIDA
Florida and Georgia Game Breakdowns
This game took place in Week 4 of the season against Florida. We see a disappointing play at (0:05) as he tripped and fell on his route. He does not get many opportunities in the passing game so he needs to take advantage when he does.
Highly touted, edge rusher Jachai Polite, now a member of the New York Jets, is lined up in front of Moreau at (1:05) and he pass blocks him well, not letting him get the edge. At (1:25) Moreau shows off his football IQ as instead of trying to block his man downfield he just boxes him out to the outside taking him completely out of the play. At (5:12) he runs a route but its just a short curl where he isn’t targeted.
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(5:22) is another example of him not looking very strong at times, allowing a corner to disengage and make the tackle. His first reception of the game comes at (6:03) on an inside post route — he caught the ball with his hands and broke one tackle taking it for a nice gain. The play was called back but you still see some of his potential as a receiver there regardless.
At (6:50) he gets his only listed reception of the day on a dump-off pass where he once again flashes his athleticism with a nice run after the catch for 14 yards, following the awesome one-handed catch he made on a throw that was behind him. That is not a catch a one-dimensional blocking tight end makes.
At (7:35) he shows off another nice pass blocking attempt and at (8:35) is a good run block that opened up the gap the running back hit for a big gain.
Overview
In this game, Moreau looked like a better run blocker than he did versus Ole Miss. He was facing more finesse players against Florida while against Ole Miss he was primarily facing power rushers.
This could be a large part of the reason for his increased success.
Moreau caught three balls, although two were called back. He showed nice hands and while not the crispest route running, he is decent enough — especially since he’s a big body who can box guys out without needing to get wide open.
He continues to prove Mayock right with his sneaky athleticism and pass catching potential despite the stats not showing it.
C+. . Stats: 1 Rec, 12 Yards, 12.0 AVG, 0 TD, Targets: 1, Drops: 0. . VS. GEORGIA
This game took place in Week 5 against Georgia. At (0:45), Moreau executes solid run blocking followed by a solid pass block at (0:49). At (0:57) is lined up in the slot and runs a slant route but is not targeted.
His first and only reception of the game comes at (1:08) and he breaks a tackle once again showing his run-after-catch ability. Moreau gets knocked off balance due to him not using his lower body and driving his legs. He still blocks his man due to his upper body strength, but if he gets a little better technique-wise he can be a great blocker.
Overview
Nothing new was shown in this game. Moreau continues to be a solid blocker despite little technique problems and he looks good as a receiver whenever his number is called.