KLAS (LAS VEGAS) — With Darren Waller shipped off to New York and Foster Moreau still unsigned, the Raiders appear to be moving on from their top two tight ends of this past season.
Wednesday’s signing of two-time Pro Bowler Austin Hooper suggests the change. The Raiders announced the acquisition of Hooper, along with the signing of two other unrestricted free agents — cornerback David Long Jr. and wide receiver Cam Sims — in separate news releases.
Although terms were not released, reports are that Hooper’s deal is for $3.5 million and one season. Financials on Long, most recently with the Los Angeles Rams, and Sims, who left the Washington Commanders, were not immediately available, but reports said each has signed for one year.
Hooper, 28, a third-round pick of Atlanta in the 2016 draft, spent his first four seasons with the Falcons and two with Cleveland before playing last season with the Tennessee Titans. In 105 career games he has 339 receptions for 3,468 yards and 25 touchdowns.
Long, 25, played on the Rams’ Super Bowl winning team in 2021. He was the team’s third-round pick out of Michigan in 2019 and started 10 of his 52 games in Los Angeles. He has one career interception and seven passes defended.
Sims, also an unrestricted free agent, had 57 catches for 804 yards and three touchdowns in his five seasons in Washington. He started 17 games in that span, including three this past season when he had eight catches for 89 yards.
Terms for Long and Sims were not disclosed, but each deal reportedly is for one year.
On Tuesday, safety Jaquan Johnson signed with the Raiders after spending the first four seasons of his NFL career with the Buffalo Bills.
Johnson, 27, primarily a special-teams performer in Buffalo, and the Raiders agreed to a one-year deal, according to a story posted at the Buffalo News’ website.
A sixth-round pick out of Miami in 2019, Johnson made a career-best three starts this past season as the Bills dealt with injuries at safety, including the on-field cardiac arrest of Damar Hamlin during a nationally televised game in January.
Johnson played 22% of the Bills’ defensive snaps this past season when he had one interception and 25 tackles.
In addition to Hooper, on Monday, the Raiders agreed to a deal with tight end O.J. Howard, who has played six NFL seasons and was drafted 19th overall by Tampa Bay in 2017.
Howard had 10 catches for 145 yards and two touchdowns with Houston is 2022. He played collegiately at Alabama.
Also on Monday, the Raiders added defensive lineman Jordan Willis, who has played the past two seasons in San Francisco.
A third-round selection in the 2017 draft by Cincinnati, Willis has played 69 career games with two starts, posting 91 tackles (55 solo), 10. 1/2 sacks, 15 tackles for loss, one pass defensed, three forced fumbles and three fumble recoveries.
The deals for Howard and Willis reportedly were for one year.
