The Las Vegas Raiders added immense possibilities to the offense in 2020 with the selection of Lynn Bowden in the third round of this year's NFL Draft. Bowden was one of the most intriguing athletes taken, showcasing an ability to play multiple skill positions on offense -- even though the Raiders primarily plan to use him at running back.
Vegas has something else in store for Bowden, a position he was very familiar with in college: Quarterback.
"You see the game changing from year to year, the use of the RPOs (run-pass options) and the use of the Taysom Hill's, those type of players that played the RPO-style offense in college, they become valuable," said Raiders offensive coordinator Greg Olson Wednesday, via the team's website. "We believe that he can transition and be a running back, as well as do some of those plays at the quarterback position that he did in college."
The Raiders already have Derek Carr entrenched as the starting quarterback with Marcus Mariota as the high-priced backup. How is Bowden going to fit into this equation? With the way the Saints use Hill, Bowden will certainly be utilized in the Wildcat role as Vegas will have a designed set of plays and packages for him.
Bowden did play quarterback at Kentucky, the position he was recruited for before converting to wide receiver. In his junior season with the Wildcats, Bowden threw for 403 yards and three touchdowns -- a season which he averaged 7.9 yards per carry and rushed for 1,468 yards and 13 touchdowns. He averaged 160.7 all-purpose yards per game in 2019, fifth in the nation.
Don't get any ideas Bowden will unseat Carr or take the No. 2 job for Mariota. The Raiders are just trying to find ways to get him on the field in any way possible.
"We have him working out of the running backs room," Olson said. "He's meeting with Kirby Wilson, the running backs coach, but also he's had to learn a lot of things that we do at the quarterback position."
