One of the most difficult decisions the Raiders will need to make this offseason is what to do with tight end Foster Moreau. A fourth-round pick from 2019, Moreau has established himself as one of the better tight ends in the league.
In a recent article by William Moy of Pro Football Focus, he ranked the top 15 tight ends from the 2022 season. That list included Moreau, who really improved as a receiver last year. Here is what the site had to say about the former LSU product:
“Moreau endured a miserable season as a run blocker, with his 40.8 run-blocking grade placing dead last out of 23 tight ends who had at least 300 run-blocking snaps in 2022. His 2.8% positive run-block rate ranked last, and his 22.1% negative run-block rate was the second worst among his peers.
That being said, he finished last season ranked 12th at the position with a 69.7 receiving grade and was the only tight end to log at least 40 pass-blocking snaps (63) and not surrender a single pressure. Moreau ranked first by converting 70.6% of his catches into either a first down or a touchdown, and 35.3% of his catches were explosive plays that went for at least 15 yards, the third-best rate among tight ends in 2022.”
Tight end is a position in the NFL that takes a lot of time to learn and thus, players usually don’t start performing at a high level until the age of 26 or 27. That’s why it wouldn’t be a surprise if Moreau was significantly better on his second contract as he continues to get more reps.
Moreau is scheduled to hit free agency later this month and that is an issue for the Raiders as Darren Waller has missed a ton of time over the last few seasons. Will they re-sign Moreau, making him one of the highest-paid tight ends in the league despite being a backup? That remains to be seen.
Expect Moreau to receive a ton of interest in free agency given his athleticism and receiving upside. At this stage of the offseason, it does feel unlikely that the Raiders will be able to retain him for the 2023 season.