Following the Green Bay Packers' sudden decision to release veteran wide receiver Jordy Nelson, it has put him on the free agent market for the first time. In the short time since then, Nelson has quickly received plenty of interest in his services around the league.
Among the first few teams to ramp up their efforts in luring him in has been the Oakland Raiders, who have landed a visit with the 32-year-old right out of the gate. According to Fallon Smith C. of NBC Sports Bay Area, this has led to Pro Bowl quarterback Derek Carr to personally go to the airport in Oakland to meet with Nelson.
I'm told Derek Carr is meeting Jordy Nelson at the airport #Raiders #FullCourtPress
— Fallon Marie Christopher (@FallonSmithTV) March 14, 2018
There is a clear strong desire from the Raiders to bring aboard Nelson that reverberates on down through the roster with Carr at the forefront of the recruiting process. The former Pro Bowler has proven to be one of the top wide receivers in the league through his first 10 seasons all spent with the Green Bay Packers.
During that span, he had developed into a legitimate deep-ball and red zone threat as Aaron Rodgers' most reliable option in the passing game. He has recorded more than 1,000 receiving yards four times with each instance seeing him surpass more than 1,200 receiving yards. Prior to the 2017 season, he had put up three consecutive campaigns with at least 85 catches and 1,200 receiving yards and eight touchdown receptions.
His potential addition to the Raiders would prove a proven receiving option for Carr to pair alongside Pro Bowl wideout Amari Cooper. However, it will likely result in the front office deciding to part ways with Michael Crabtree, who is in the third year of his four-year, $34 million deal. This would free up an additional $7.7 million in cap space to help their efforts in offering Nelson a lucrative contract.
With the Raiders having Nelson in town, it puts the pressure on them to make a strong impression to ink him to a deal, possibly as early as Wednesday night in order to avoid him from considering playing elsewhere such as the New England Patriots. In other words, these next several hours will be critical in landing him.
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