The Oakland Raiders have some excitement this season with young players Amari Cooper, Latavius Murray, Derek Carr and Khalil Mack stepping up and after adding Michael Crabtree to the mix on offense the team could be much improved and this comes as Andre Holmes will be out with a broken hand, while Trent Richardson could be in danger of getting released if he doesn't perform well in the preseason.
The Raiders have Jack Del Rio coming in to take over as head coach and the team is expecting him to be there for a long stretch. Reggie McKenzie had to break things down over the past few years to get the cap under control and now the team is ready to move forward with a young core of players. Derek Carr comes back after having a strong rookie season and he will have new weapons to use on offense with Amari Cooper, Michael Crabtree and Clive Walford joining up.
Cooper is expected to be the number one starter at wide receiver and he has some major expectations coming into the season. Cooper was a top five pick and after the way he performed in college last season, the Raiders see him as a game changing player. Cooper comes in after making 124 catches for 1727 yards and 16 touchdowns with Alabama and that has the Raiders salivating at his potential. Cooper could be the second coming of Odell Beckham as a rookie and that is what the Raiders are hoping for.
The running back position is one to watch as the preseason rolls along, as the team looks ready to start Latavius Murray at the top of the depth chart. Pro Football Talk reports that Murray is listed number one on the chart and Trent Richardson is at number two ahead of Roy Helu. Helu likely will be the third down back.
The San Francisco Chronicle and NFL.com reports that Richardson could be on the chopping block if he doesn't perform well, but that is not what the Raiders would like to do this preseason. The team has Richardson ion a deal with $600,000 guaranteed, so it wouldn't be a major issue if the teak needed to cut him. Richardson is coming in after two down seasons.
Adding Michael Crabtree was a solid move, as he has shown he can be a productive receiver at times, but he needs to bounce back after an okay year in San Francisco. The Raiders are actually fairly deep at receiver and that is one reason why the broken hand injury for Andre Holmes is not devastating. The team has Crabtree in as the starting wideout with Cooper and behind them are Rod Streater, Brice Butler, Holmes, Kenbrell Thompkins, Kris Durham and Seth Roberts.
While most of those players are not household names, it gives the Raiders some flexibility and depth at the position. Streater is coming back after dealing with an injury last season, while Holmes showed some flashes last year and Thompkins showed his potential in his time with the Patriots. According to ESPN.com, Holmes broke his hand in practice and the fracture injury should keep him out for "three to four weeks."
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