The Raiders added two players on Thursday night as they traded down before drafting tackle Kolton Miller at No. 15 and then used the third-round pick acquired in that deal to make a trade with the Steelers for wide receiver Martavis Bryant.
The deal came after a 2017 season that saw Bryant return from a year-long suspension to request a trade out of Pittsburgh and get dropped from the lineup for a game after making critical comments about teammate JuJu Smith-Schuster. Bryant said at a Friday press conference that he’s looking forward to getting a “clean slate” with the Raiders and Raiders coach Jon Gruden is also looking forward to the benefits of a new address.
“I think a change of scenery could unleash his greatness,” Gruden said.
Bryant had 50 catches for 603 yards and three touchdowns last season and had 76 catches for 1,314 yards and 14 touchdowns in his first two NFL seasons. He’s in the final year of his contract, which should only add motivation to make good on Gruden’s hope for how things will play out in the coming months.
