The Oakland Raiders are filled with youth on both sides of the ball, but that is of no concern for general manager Reggie McKenzie or head coach Dennis Allen. The Raiders mentality going into the season is "next man up" meaning a rookie status is no excuse to not help the team in some way. After the Raiders said goodbye to tight end Brandon Myers in the offseason, Allen will be looking at a couple of rookies to replace him.
While two veterans, David Ausberry and Richard Gordon, are on the roster, Allen is keeping his eye on Mychal Rivera and Nick Kasa to play a big role this upcoming season.
"We're looking for someone to step up," Allen said. "We want someone to say, 'I'm the man, and this is my job.' We're going to let the competition dictate that and give everyone an opportunity."
Myers had been with the Raiders for four seasons before signing with the New York Giants in the offseason. His best season came in 2012 when he put up 806 yards and four touchdowns. Those numbers might be hard to duplicate with a couple of rookies, but Allen is confident they have some talent.
Kasa and Rivera were both sixth-round draft picks that offer a variety of different skills. Kasa converted from a defensive lineman to tight end his senior season. His pass catching abilities still need some work, but he offers great blocking for the quarterback. Rivera on the other hand was a stand out on Tennessee with excellent receiving skills. He can be used as a tight end or splitting out wide. Quarterback Matt Flynn could not be happier to see the two rookies progressing well.
"We have some guys that can get down the field and make some catches, have good hands," quarterback Matt Flynn said. "We also have some guys who can get nasty and get down there and do some good pass protection, blocking, whatever we need to do."
The tight end competition also features veteran Jeron Mastrud and Brian Leonhardt. Kasa could end up being an odd man out after missing most of the offseason program with a hamstring injury. Allen noted that he was farther behind than the other players, but has the frame to be successful.
If the rookies can prove to have enough talent and versatility to really make a difference, they could find themselves ranked above the veterans on the depth chart. That will likely be the trend this year in Oakland, but will set them up well for the future.
