The Oakland Raiders have several position battles set to take place during training camp that do not involve the quarterbacks. For the first time in the past few seasons, the Raiders appear to have stability at the quarterback position after acquiring Matt Schaub in the offseason. Instead, the Raiders are working out issues at both the wide receiver and running back position as head coach Dennis Allen works to finalize the roster for the 2014 season.
The Raiders have an issue some teams are wishing they could have with their roster, an abundance of wide receivers. The Raiders have their top three receivers returning from last year while also getting improvement from others on depth chart along with James Jones and Greg Little who were added in free agency. The grouping looks strong, but crowded which means someone is not making the roster.
Jones is a lock to make the roster simply because of his veteran leadership and contract. After a successful stint with the Green Bay Packers, Jones is expected to lead the group and be a standout receiver for Schaub. Streater has the same expectations after leading the group last season. Moore returns, but according to ESPN.com and NFL.com, he is the most at risk to be traded given his inconsistencies. Head coach Dennis Allen has not been thrilled with the progress of Moore and considering his expiring contract, he is easy to move.
One player Allen is impressed with is Juron Criner who exceled during offseason workouts. Criner is a young talent that the Raiders could easily use to develop in the future. With Criner's improvement, Andre Holmes and Moore are probably the two biggest trade risks along with Little who has yet to show too much in his short time on the field. Allen is loving the competition between the receivers. Without a leading No. 1 guy, every receiver on the roster is going to be expected to step up to the challenge.
The same expectations go for Darren McFadden and Maurice Jones-Drew who are both being given another chance to revive their careers. The Raiders took a chance signing both veteran running backs who are coming off several down seasons overshadowed with injuries and a lack of consistency. Both McFadden and Jones-Drew are confident they can be relied on this season and will use the competition between each other to get better.
