2017 Oakland Raiders Roster View: Wide Receiver
The trio of Raiders Amari Cooper, Michael Crabtree and Seth Roberts went into the 2016 with great expectations. Cooper and Crabtree did not disappoint. Roberts unfortunately did as he suffered with drops all season for the 2nd season in a row. In comes Cordarrelle Patterson from Minnesota, holdovers Jaydon Mickens, Johnny Holton, KJ Brent and rookies Ishmael Zamora, Keon Hatcher and Isaac Whitney to challenge Roberts for his slot spot and for the departed Andre Holmes’s 4th WR spot.
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Most Valuable: Amari Cooper. Cooper had a rough go of it his Rookie Season being plagued with drops himself. Last year he only had 4. Now, you hear how much bigger he came into minicamp and yet hasn’t lost any of his quickness . The kid might start hitting his stride going into his 3rd season and really become the unstoppable force the Raiders envisioned when they took him 4th overall in the 2015 NFL Draft. Now Coop has gone to 2 straight Pro Bowls, so getting even better would be a scary thought for all the Raider opponent’s secondary’s.
Most Dispensable: Seth Roberts. I know, before you cringe, hear me out. I know that the Raiders have a winning streak when he scores a Touchdown (Including the game winner vs. Tampa Bay last year) but the drops are just drive killers. And the problem is that it’s contagious. As Pop Warner as that sounds, it is. In 2015, Crabtree started dropping balls, then Cooper, and then Roberts. It was frustrating watching drives die when bells are hitting guys right on the numbers. Last year, it was more of the same for Roberts. Now, he is an explosive receiver. No doubt about that and he can run block with the best WR’s in the league. Yet, if the drops continue, don’t be surprised to see him relegated to the no.4 spot.
Most Important Position Battle: 4th WR. Andre Holmes stood out in the playoff game vs. Houston with his size and coming up with big catches for Conner Cook. Now, Holmes plays in Buffalo. Holmes was also an important gunner on special teams. Patterson is a Pro Bowl Kick Returner, who has never been able to make a huge impact on the offensive side of the ball. However, that could change with a quarterback like Derek Carr. Young guys like Holton and Brent have similar size to Holmes while Jayden Mickens is on the smaller side and would probably do best battling Roberts in the slot. Talented but young and unproven WR’s Zamora, Hatcher and Whitney all face an uphill climb to make the team and will have to make their mark on special teams to make the cut. The Raiders receiving corp looks deep as the summer evolves.
@Raider7597
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