Adrian Fedkiw
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The Oakland Raiders were busy during the offseason in an attempt to not only make the playofss, but finish above .500 for the first time since 2002, the year they made the Super Bowl before losing to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. They added guard Kelechi Osemele, cornerback Sean Smith, outside linebacker Bruce Irvin and safety Reggie Nelson.
Jack Del Rio had a successful first season with the Oakland Raiders, improving a 3-13 team to 7-9. And there’s a young core to be excited about in quarterback Derek Carr, wide receiver Amari Cooper and defensive end Khalil Mack. Reggie McKenzie has done a splendid job since taking over as the general manager in 2012.
The expectations are high and a playoff appearance is certainly not out of the question.
Grading the Roster
QBs- Derek Carr (8), Connor Cook (7.1)
RBs- Latavius Murray (7.4), Roy Helu (7.3), DeAndre Washington (7.2)
WRs- Amari Cooper (7.8), Michael Crabtree (7.5), Seth Roberts (7.2), Andre Holmes (7.2)
TEs- Clive Walford (7.3), Mychal Rivera (7.2)
Ts- Donald Penn (7.8), Austin Howard (7.3), Menelik Watson (7.2)
Gs- Kelechi Osemele (7.8), Gabe Jackson (7.5), Jon Feliciano (7.1)
Cs- Rodney Hudson (7.7), Ross Burbank (7)
DEs- Khalil Mack (8.9), Mario Edwards (7.4), Denico Autry (7.3), Jihad Ward (7.2)
DTs- Dan Williams (8), Justin Ellis (7.3), Stacy McGee (7.2), Leon Orr (7)
OLBs- Bruce Irvin (7.7), Malcolm Smith (7.4), Shilique Calhoun (7.2), Korey Toomer (7)
MLBs- Ben Heeney (7.3), Darren Bates (7.1)
CBs- Sean Smith (7.8), David Amerson (7.5), D.J. Hayden (7.2), T.J. Carrie (7.2)
Ss- Reggie Nelson (7.7), Karl Joseph (7.3)
K- Sebastian Janikowski (7.4)
P- Marquette King (7.4)
KR- Taiwan Jones (7.3)
PR- T.J. Carrie (7.3)
Team Rankings
Team- 7.400 (10/32)
Offense- 7.410 (14/32)
Defense- 7.424 (11/32)
Quarterbacks- 7.55 (14/32)
Running Backs- 7.3 (22/32)
Receivers- 7.37 (22/32)
Offensive Line- 7.43 (8/32)
Defensive Line- 7.54 (2/16)
Linebackers- 7.28 (12/16)
Secondary- 7.45 (7/32)
Special Teams- 7.35
Coaches- 7.3
PREDICTION– 10-6 (2nd AFC West)
QUARTERBACKS
Carr took a drastic leap forward from his rookie season, posting 3,987 yards with 32 touchdowns and 13 interceptions.
I believe he has some of that “it factor” and a lot of arm talent, putting good trajectory on his deep balls and plenty of zip on his outside the hash tosses. He’s come a long way with his footwork as well, not relying strictly on his arm.
Matt McGloin and fourth-round pick Connor Cook are the quarterbacks behind Carr on the depth chart.
RUNNING BACKS
Latavius Murray was the Raiders’ first 1,000-yard rusher since 2010 last year, but averaged just 4.0 yards per carry. He had 79 percent of the totes due to the ineffectiveness from the rest of the backs, which included Roy Helu and Taiwan Jones.
Murray is an athletic back who also showcases some power. He’s agile and has good burst going through the hole.
Fifth-round selection DeAndre Washington is a 5’8 scat back that might provide a solid option on third downs.
RECEIVERS
The Raiders hadn’t had a receiver eclipse 1,000 yards in a decade until rookie Amari Cooper put up 1,070 last year. Michael Crabtree came to Oakland and was less than 1,000 yards away, resurrecting his career with a 922-yard campaign.
The No. 4 overall pick Cooper and the main reason for that; he was considered by many to be the most polished route runner entering the draft in years. He’s very smooth and fluid and can run everything in the route tree with ease. If there is a problem, Cooper did lead the NFL in drops with 18. Crabtree is a possession receiver, who is a savvy route runner. Seth Roberts and Andre Holmes are the other options, with Roberts turning into a solid slot option.
Tight end Clive Walford improved as his rookie year progressed and Lee Smith is a solid blocker.
OFFENSIVE LINE
No guard plays with the same level of attitude and physicality as Osemele does. He’s also very versatile, he played some left tackle last season and excelled as a pass protector.
But it’s his run blocking which earned him that huge paycheck. He overwhelms linebackers on the second left and consistently generates movement at the point of attack. Gabe Jackson is also very solid and will be the starter opposite him at right guard.
Left tackle Donald Penn is silently one of the better ones in the league. He’s mobile, quick and balanced in both pass protection and as a run blocker. Austin Howard is the starter opposite of him.
Center Rodney Hudson is undersized, but quick and agile. He’s at his best in a zone-blocking scheme where he can get to the second level and seal off linebackers. His hands are active and gets them inside a defender’s pads to help him sustain blocks. He plays with balance in pass protection, but can be overpowered. He is, however, good at helping his guards out with combo blocking.
DEFENSIVE LINEMEN
Heading into his third season, the defensive end Mack is already a shining star. He can play outside linebacker too., becoming the first player in history to be named an AP first-team All Pro at two different positions last year.
He played everywhere on that line too, lining up on both defensive end spots, as a defensive tackle and even nose tackle. The guy’s a flat out beast. He was second in the NFL with 15 sacks and had the most tackles for a 4-3 defensive end with 77. His first step is explosive and power allows him to push blockers backwards.
Mack also defends the run exceptionally well too. He sets and holds the edge, doing so by bursting out of his stance with power. He also does a great job of pursuing backside runs.
Mario Edwards starts at the other defensive end spot and Denico Autry gives Oakland three quality players at the position.
Defensive tackle Dan Williams is pretty much a one-trick pony as a pass rusher, using a powerful bull rush to collapse the pocket, but he’s more known as being a run stuffer. He’s one of the best in the game. He’s able to anchor and when the ball carrier comes close by, he’s able to disengage, throw the linemen away and make tackles. His short area burst is remarkable for a man his size as well. Justin Ellis starts alongside him.
LINEBACKERS
Irvin is a 4-3 outside linebacker that likes to get after the quarterback. He notched 5 ½ sacks last season. Irvin isn’t a great run defender, but his athleticism helps him in this area. His struggles to find the ball is his downfall.
Irvin is very solid in coverage due to his athleticism and length. He covers a lot of ground. He’ll start with former teammate Malcolm Smith, who was the MVP of the Super Bowl for the Seattle Seahawks when they played together.
Ben Heeney is the middle linebacker and comes off a solid season.
DEFENSIVE BACKS
At 6’3 218, the underrated Smith has size, power and length and uses them all to his advantage in coverage. Maybe one of the reasons why Smith gets overlooked is because he doesn’t put up high interception totals. He had just two last year and has never put up more than that in a season. Due to his power and length, Smith is very good at tackling in space.
David Amerson came over in Week 3 after being released by the Washington Redskins and flourished with a league-high 26 pass breakups, tying him with rookie Marcus Peters.
The signing of Smith is huge because Oakland doesn’t have much depth behind the starters. Former first-round pick D.J. Hayden has been a bust, while T.J. Carrie and Keith McGill aren’t much better.
Nelson will provide immediate stability at safety and drafted one in the first round for the future in Karl Joseph, who is a hard hitter that can cover.
TEAM PREVIEWS
Buffalo Bills | New England Patriots | Miami Dolphins | New York Jets
Baltimore Ravens | Cincinnati Bengals | Pittsburgh Steelers | Cleveland Browns
Indianapolis Colts | Houston Texans | Jacksonville Jaguars | Tennessee Titans
Denver Broncos | Kansas City Chiefs | San Diego Chargers
NFL PLAYER RANKINGS