The Oakland Raiders have OTA workouts this week ahead of minicamp and quarterback Derek Carr could miss time with a hand injury and this comes as Trent Richardson and Latavius Murray are battling to start alongside Amari Cooper, who has been strong in camp workouts and likely will be the number one target on offense with Michael Crabtree, Andre Holmes, Mychal Rivera and Clive Walford.
The Raiders are coming into offseason workouts with numerous questions about the starting lineup, including at running back and tight end. Trent Richardson was signed in the offseason, but Latavius Murray is ready to step up and will compete to start, while Roy Helu likely will be the third down back. The tight end position has Mychal Rivera now, but Bill Williamson at ESPN writes that the team likes draft pick Clive Walford and will give him a chance to contribute.
The Raiders have OTA workouts this week and things continue next week before minicamps in June. According to the San Francisco Chronicle, the team could be without Derek Carr for some of the OTA workouts, as he is dealing with a hand issue. According to ESPN.com, Carr may need minor surgery on one of his fingers after dealing with some "numbness". Carr's agent came out to say that no surgery will be needed, but there is a chance he could miss time, although he "is probably going to be throwing" heading into training camp.
Any missed time for Carr will be tough for Amari Cooper, as he is expected to be the number one receiver and wants to get in as much work as he can with the starter. Matt McGloin and Christian Ponder may get the reps early on and either way, Cooper is penciled in as the top receiver. Cooper comes in after having a great college career and he now has the chance to do it in the NFL. The Raiders love his route running and ball catching ability and he could be in for a big season.
The team also signed Michael Crabtree and the Raiders expect him to be productive after dealing with some injuries with the 49ers. The team is fairly deep at receiver with Andre Holmes, Kenbrell Thompkins as well as Rod Streater and Brice Butler, but Cooper automatically the best of the bunch following the draft. Cooper comes in after making 124 catches last season for 1727 yards and 16 touchdowns for Alabama and that should translate into a strong rookie year.
According to NFL.com, Murray has the edge over Richardson coming into OTA workouts to start, but that could change if he performs well. Richardson did not have a good run over the past two years with the Colts, but he said that he is expecting to bounce back in a new offensive system. Murray showed some flashes last season and he could get a long look as the top running back. Helu should end up as the third down back, as he is strong catching the ball out of the backfield.
