The Oakland Raiders have wrapped up their 2013 offseason and are beginning preparations for training camp and hoping for an improved upcoming season. Head coach Dennis Allen is thrilled with the roster the team has this year and truly believes the franchise is turning things around. Several players emerged as top-level talent during OTAs and mandatory minicamps, one being third-year wide receiver Denarius Moore.
After the departure of Darrius Heyward-Bey, the Raiders are in need of a receiver to step up and be a big offensive weapon in 2013. The wide receiver section of the roster appears to now have more questions than answers as a group of young and rather inexperienced players make up the grouping. Allen is looking for Moore to be the No. 1 guy in the upcoming season.
Moore had a standout rookie campaign. He averaged 18.7 yards per catch, racking up 618 yards and five touchdowns in a limited role. In 2012, he followed up with 741 yards and seven touchdowns while fighting time with Heyward-Bey. Allen is thrilled with the progress Moore has shown in offseason practices. He believes the wide receiver has a stronger understanding of the route combinations and techniques needed to be successful. He is hoping for more production and leadership out of Moore.
Moore is not the only player showing improvement after a short stint of practices in recent weeks. The quarterback competition between Tyler Wilson and Matt Flynn has clearly paid off as Allen is happy with the better play he is seeing from the veteran and the rookie.
Both Flynn and Wilson have improved on accuracy and overall sharpness. It appears Flynn has the upper hand when it comes to the quarterback competition, mainly due to experience in the league, but Wilson is gaining speed. Allen intends on keeping a close eye on both players as they take almost six weeks off prior to training camp arriving.
Flynn is hoping to not fall into a similar situation like the one he was in with the Seattle Seahawks. Flynn was signed as the team's starting quarterback but proceeded to lose his job in favor of rookie Russell Wilson who eventually took the team into the postseason. Wilson certainly has the skillset to be a star in the NFL, it just depends if he can continue to look the part longer than Flynn.
Allen is happy with the footwork and mechanics he has seen with both quarterbacks, along with the arm strength. He stresses that Flynn is the team's starting quarterback, but a competition could dictate otherwise.
