The Oakland Raiders are getting closer to determining their starting offense before Week 1 of the 2014 season. That could include Derek Carr as the starting quarterback while not including Juron Criner at the wide receiver despite a strong showing at training camp. With the preseason games wrapped up, several players did everything they could to campaign for a roster spot. After risking release all offseason, was Denarius Moore one of them?
The Raiders looked impressive in their final preseason game, getting a win over the Seattle Seahawks. Several players looked impressive, one being wide receiver Moore who has seen his future be put into doubt for most of the offseason. Moore's time with the Raiders has been mainly plagued by inconsistencies. Head coach Dennis Allen made note that the wide receiver needed to prove he could be relied on if he was going to make the 53-man roster. On Thursday night, Moore looked every bit the part.
Right now, the Raiders have Rod Streater and James Jones penciled in as starter. Andre Holmes will likely join them with the option of Greg Little. Moore made his case on Thursday to help round out the rotation. He caught a 36-yard touchdown pass from Carr while also helping keep several drives alive during the game. Allen was impressed with what he saw from the receiver, but made no hints as to whether his spot on the team was safe.
One player that could see himself inserted into the starting spot is Carr who left Allen raving about his performance in the final preseason game. Carr completed 11 of 13 passes for 143 yards in the win over Seattle as two of the three touchdowns came on one-play series. The second-round pick looked every bit the part of a starter.
"Let's not bury our head in the sand," Allen said, via Contra Costa Times. "But I haven't changed anything. I think we're in good shape where we're at with all of our quarterbacks and I feel good about being in the position we're in."
Carr stands a good shot at getting the starting spot. Veteran Matt Schaub has been out dealing with elbow tendinitis which is hurting his arm strength and accuracy. If Carr can continue to impress, he might be the starting quarterback sooner rather than later.