The Oakland Raiders are getting ready to start training camp and after a very active free agency period and draft, the team is looking at the roster and seeing where some positions lack depth and one of those is at wide receiver, which is why the team scheduled a workout for Derek Hagan.
According to ESPN.com, the Raiders had Hagan on a transactions list that said he would have a tryout, but later he tweeted that he did not end up working out with Oakland. Pro Football Talk reported that Hagan will work out for the New York Jets, but after spending time with the Raiders in 2012, it appears that he will not be returning there. The wideout made 20 catches for 259 yards while playing in 14 games last season with two starts and even though the team needs more receivers, they are going in a different direction.
Hagan was solid for the team in the slot and after coming out of Miami as a third round pick, he has played for Miami, New York, Oakland and Buffalo and has career stats of 129 passes for 1,480 yards and six touchdowns in seven seasons in the league. Hagan played six games with the Raiders in 2011 and after working out with the Jets he could end up there, as the team has depth issues at the position as well.
With Hagan out, one interesting option for the Raiders could be to sign free agent Terrell Owens, as the team needs more receivers for Matt Flynn in the offense and they likely could get him on the cheap. Owens has said that he would still like to play and his last chance came when he was in camp with the Seahawks last season. Owens proved he could still run by posting a sub-5.0 40-yard dash and in his last two stints he proved that he is mostly over the trouble maker attitude he had in the past.
The Raiders traded for Flynn to be the starting quarterback and after cutting former first round pick Darrius Heyward-Bey they need more options. Tight end Brandon Myers was the leading receiver for the team last season with 79 catches for over 800 yards, but he signed with the Giants and the Raiders haven't been able to replace that production yet.
Owens was in camp with the Seahawks and had the chance to contribute, but he ended up being released after signing a one year deal with the team and Seattle felt comfortable going forward with Golden Tate and Sidney Rice as their top two receivers. Randy Moss could be another option, but after playing with the team years ago both sides were not happy and despite him playing for the 49ers last season, he likely will not return to the Bay Area. The Raiders ranked in the top 10 in passing yards per game last season while going 4-12 and if they can improve their balance in the running game, Flynn should have a productive season for the team.
