The Oakland Raiders need a wide receiver after failing to acquire a top threat in the last few drafts. With Derek Carr officially the starting quarterback of the team, there are simply not enough weapons currently surrounding him to make the offense successful. Signing Michael Crabtree was the start, but not the answer. With the 2015 NFL Draft deep at the wide receiver position, now is the time for the Raiders to make a move.
At the No. 4 pick in the draft, the Raiders could get the best wide receiver available, or at least one of the top two. According to SFGate.com, Oakland will draft a receiver in the first round despite being linked to pass rushers a trade for Adrian Peterson. However, Vic Tafur reports that while the Raiders can get quality at the No. 4 spot, they can also get good players if they opt to trade down.
General manager Reggie McKenzie confirmed via OaklandRaiders.com there is a lot of interest in the No. 4 pick and he is willing to answer the phones and make a deal if it greatly benefits Oakland. Teams like the Atlanta Falcons, Chicago Bears and New York Jets are all getting linked to jumps up the boards and Oakland will be ready to help. A move down does not change the plan to draft a wide receiver considering there is not much of a talent drop off between players.
Amari Cooper and Kevin White are considered the best two receivers available. One of them could go as high as No. 2 to the Tennessee Titans. The team is considering draft deals to move down the boards as well. If Cooper and White are available at No. 4, the Raiders could stay put and draft someone. However, if the Bears want to deal and Oakland moves down to the No. 7 pick, there will still be good talent with players like White, DeVante Parker, Jaelen Strong and Breshad Perriman. Oakland would then get a top receiver and have more picks to work with.
There is still plenty of faith in Crabtree, but the wide receiver is not guaranteed anything. Crabtree told CSN Bay Area News Group that he is aware he has a lot to prove in the coming months before the regular season starts. The Raiders have their top receivers in James Jones and Andre Holmes returning. Adding a top rookie into the mix could push Crabtree out of the rotation if he struggles. The receiver only inked a one-year deal which means nothing is guaranteed for 2015.
