Raiders offense: Abundance of caution shows how integral Brock Bowers will be

Talented rookie being held out of practices with a foot ailment, but should be ready to go in season opener

The absence of Brock Bowers at practice due to a foot injury was eyebrow raising, to say the least.

But fear not, says Las Vegas Raiders head coach Antonio Pierce.

The Silver & Black’s prized first round pick from the 2024 NFL Draft is slated to be a full go come Week 1 against the Los Angeles Chargers.

“Yeah, just precautionary. He got a foot injury, and we just want to protect him,” Pierce said two week ago.

Asked about the No. 13 overall pick missing practices last week and Pierce sounded confident the tight end will be ready to go against the Bolts.

“Yeah, I feel really good about that to be honest. Just again, I’m going to go back to protecting the young guy. Sometimes you get in the league, you have got to be smart and sometimes you have got to protect them from themselves. So, that’s all it is.”

That abundance of caution just goes to show how integral Bowers is to the Raiders’ offense and plans this coming 2024 campaign. It became clear from the time the Georgia product stepped onto the practice field for Las Vegas, the Raiders have something special on their hands.

At 6-foot-4 and 230 pounds with soft hands, the ability to run crisp and sudden routes, and smooth running like a full-speed gazelle, the tight end has nightmare matchup written all over him. Bowers has the skillset to compliment fellow young tight end Michael Mayer (second year as a second-round pick (No. 35 overall) out of Notre Dame in the 2023 draft) and be a true weapon in offensive coordinator Luke Getsy’s 12 personnel package.

As a Bulldog, Bowers lined up all over the field and wasn’t solely relegated to the traditional in-line tight end spot. He lined up at the slot and the perimeter — areas normally reserved for wide receivers — and even in the backfield. Georgia was intent on maximizing the return on investment (ROI) it got from Bowers and Las Vegas would be wise the do the same.

We saw some of it in preseason action.

Without a traditional fullback on the roster — a break in Raiders longtime tradition — both Bowers and Mayer lined up as lead blocker. And it was Bowers who hauled in a pass out of the flat as fullback on a play action play against the Minnesota Vikings.

That has potential to cause headaches and mistakes from opposing defenses as Bowers has shown he is an asset and not a liability as a blocker (both as pass protector and lead in the ground game) so making him position versatile by lining up in the backfield will force the opposition to adjust — or else.

While having Bowers line up in a variety of spots in a multitude of formations may be juicy for fantasy football junkies, it’ll also make Las Vegas offense more potent overall. The 21-year-old rookie (not 22 until December 13) offers the ability to line up at outside receiver, in the slot, in-line and split end. He offers truly “move” tight end skill sets. This was done a lot in practices and preseason and it’ll be intriguing to see it come to fruition during the regular season.

“Just a dynamic player that’s doing a good job just from a mental standpoint,” Pierce said of Bowers. “Everything that we’re asking him to do, he’s doing, and he’s not blinking. Not a lot of mental errors, not a repeat offender. Going to get better each and every week.”

But here lies the rub: Las Vegas can line Bowers up where ever it wants, but can it get the talented rookie the football?

Gardner Minshew is well aware he’s at the point of the Raiders attack and he has shown a penchant to get the ball to his playmakers over the course of his career. Minshew’s improvisational skills when plays break down can help create even more plays. But it’ll be up to the offensive line to give Minshew time to find the receiving targets at his disposal which not only include Bower and Mayer, but also elite wide receiver Davante Adams, reliable wideout Jakobi Meyers, and speedster Tre Tucker.

The Raiders may be intent on getting the ball in the talented rookie tight end’s hands due to special yards after the catch capability, but will Minshew have the time and acumen to not only find Bowers, but the other receivers, too?

The first opportunity to answer that question comes on the road at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, Calif. against the Chargers on September 8.