There’s a lot of buzz about the Raiders offense these days. Many see second-year quarterback Derek Carr as a viable long-term starter, third-year running back Latavius Murray appears to have solidified a backfield that’s been an issue for years, and rookie wide receiver Amari Cooper has a chance to be the best offensive player from the 2015 draft.
But outside of Oakland, this preseason has been defined by an issue that calls to mind the Oakland Raiders’ biggest remaining concern on offense: who is the second-best wide receiver, and how important will he be to the team’s success?
I say this question has defined the preseason because we’ve already seen two primary receivers go down with season-ending injuries. Kelvin Benjamin is out for the Panthers, and more recently Jordy Nelson suffered a serious knee injury for the Packers. The difference? While both injuries are tragic for the players and detrimental to their teams, Carolina has a lot more to worry about than Green Bay, because Green Bay has a clear-cut WR2 ready to handle the bulk of the load in Randall Cobb.
The Oakland Raiders are fortunate to have been in a position to draft Amari Cooper, because he looks like a player who could be a genuine career WR1. But who is Carr going to throw to when he’s not bombarding Cooper with targets, or if, God forbid, Cooper ever gets hurt? Who’s the WR2 in Oakland?
Looking at the current depth chart, the obvious answer is Michael Crabtree. The ex-49ers receiver was brought in during the offseason to provide Carr with another option, and he remains a viable threat. Crabtree has always possessed a great deal of natural talent and, when healthy, breakout speed.
Since totaling over 1,100 yards and scoring nine touchdowns in 2012, however, he’s been a consistent disappointment. He was hurt for much of the 2013 season, and while he had his moments last year he essentially lost the WR1 spot to veteran Anquan Boldin. And in a San Francisco offense that didn’t like to pass to begin with, WR2 production didn’t make Crabtree look like the star he was once supposed to be.
Another option is Andre Holmes, whose 693 yards actually led the team in 2014. On the one hand, that speaks to some level of trust that’s already been developed between Carr and Holmes, and for a young quarterback trust is particularly important. On the other hand, it’s never good when your leading receiver has fewer than 700 yards.
It’s also pretty clear that Crabtree has more pure skill than Holmes, and his speed may play better opposite Amari Cooper, who’s more of a total package wideout than a breakaway playmaker. But the nail in the coffin for Holmes is probably going to be that he suffered a broken hand in preseason play. He’ll miss the start of the season, and likely have to beat out Crabtree when he returns.
The candidate that could keep things interesting is Rod Streater, who’s returning from injury and might be the missing piece that makes this offense truly dynamic. Because offense has been a consistent problem in Oakland, it’s almost hard to remember that Streater had a pretty fine season in 2013, just his second year in the league. He had 888 yards on 100 targets, with four touchdowns. At the time, that was the best Oakland had to offer, which made those numbers somewhat underwhelming. But if Streater can approach anything close to that production when he’s not the primary receiver, but instead one of a few useful targets, he could be a perfectly legitimate WR2.
Ultimately, this probably comes down to attrition. Crabtree is the shiny new piece and will get the chance to prove himself as the best Oakland Raiders receiver not named Amari Cooper. But if he succumbs to injury or fails to produce early, and Streater demonstrates full health and a return to form, the latter will probably wind up featuring more prominently in the offense.
Only one thing is certain in Oakland: it’ll be nice for the team to have a few options for once.
Main Photo:
