Raiders: Which receivers will step up in Hunter Renfrow’s absence?
By Justin Fried
Oakland Raiders wide receiver Hunter Renfrow suffered a broken rib and a punctured lung in the team’s 34-3 loss to the New York Jets on Sunday. Who will step up in his absence?
The Oakland Raiders have experienced a ton of turnover at the wide receiver position this season and that is expected to continue following the loss of slot receiver Hunter Renfrow.
Renfrow was injured in the middle of the Raiders 34-3 loss to the New York Jets after taking a hard hit from Jets cornerback Blessuan Austin. He would later return only to re-aggravate the injury on another hit from defensive lineman Henry Anderson.
And as reported on Tuesday, the injury may be more severe than initially anticipated.
NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported that Renfrow suffered a broken rib and punctured lung during the game and later reports indicate that the injury could keep him sidelined for the remainder of the year.
A typical timetable for a return from such an injury is around 5-6 weeks and with only five games remaining in the regular season, Renfrow very well might not return this year. Of course, this could change if the Raiders make the postseason but that still remains an uncertainty.
As head coach Jon Gruden told reporters, “it’s a big, big loss.” Renfrow currently ranks second on the team in receptions with 36 behind only Darren Waller and his 396 receiving yards are good for third behind Waller and Tyrell Williams.
The Raiders have gotten more than they ever could have asked for out of the rookie fifth-round pick and replacing his production will be no easy task. That’s especially true given the turnover they’ve encountered at the position.
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Special-teams ace Dwayne Harris recently landed on the injured reserve and offseason signings Ryan Grant and J.J. Nelson were released with little impact made. And in their place, Renfrow has been one of the few reliable, consistent producers.
Now, the Raiders will have to replace one of their most productive offensive playmakers.
Williams will continue to start on the outside as the team’s ‘X’ receiver, but there might need to be some shifting around elsewhere. Zay Jones started Sunday’s game outside at the ‘Z’ receiver spot but he excelled in the slot at East Carolina.
If Jones is moved to the slot, we could expect return man Trevor Davis to be given the first chance to start on the outside. There’s also the big-bodied Marcell Ateman who could play on the outside as well.
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But if the plan is to keep Jones as the starter at the ‘Z’ receiver position, perhaps the Raiders could give undrafted local product Keelan Doss an increased role. Doss has experience in the slot and many have been clamoring for the former UC Davis star to see more playing time.
That said, it would be quite the jump to go from healthy scratch to starting slot receiver in the matter of a week.
Gruden even mentioned using tight ends Darren Waller and Derek Carrier more in the slot to make up for the losses at receiver. The Raiders already use their tight ends out of the slot a good amount but it makes sense to give Waller and Carrier more looks there following Renfrow’s injury.
That’s especially true for Waller who remains the Raiders most dangerous playmaker in the receiving game and perhaps their top offensive talent.
There isn’t one obvious replacement for Renfrow. Rather a collection of unproven receivers will be tasked with making up for his lost production — something that could prove challenging.
Next. Raiders reportedly plan to extend Richie Incognito in the offseason. dark
Either way, if this is the end of Renfrow’s rookie season, he sure made a sizable impact and his future with the team is most definitely bright.