Jan 23, 2013; Mobile AL, USA; Senior Bowl north squad tight end Nick Kasa of Colorado (44) during the Senior Bowl north squad practice at Ladd-Peebles Stadium. Mandatory Credit: John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports
The Oakland Raiders locked up six of their late-round draft picks on Thursday afternoon, signing the following players:
Sixth-round picks: TE Nick Kasa, RB Latavius Murray, TE Mychal Rivera, DT Stacy McGee
Seventh-round picks: WR Brice Butler, DE David Bass
Kasa caught 25 passes for 391 yards and three touchdowns in 2012 at Colorado, and he led the team with 15.64 yards per catch. He could see some playing time at tight end right away. Mickey Shuler, Richard Gordon and David Ausberry are Oakland’s current tight ends, and none of those players are stars. The three combined for nine catches in 2012, and Shuler hasn’t played since 2010.
Murray averaged a remarkable 5.6 yards per carry (YPC) and ran for 15 touchdowns with Central Florida in 2012, but he wasn’t thought of as one of the draft’s best running backs. Murray, however, can be a valuable pickup for Oakland, as he is 6’3″ and weighs 222 pounds. The Raiders signed Rashad Jennings this offseason, so Murray will likely start as the Raiders’ third-string or fourth-string running back.
Rivera, who attended Tennessee, caught 10 passes for 129 yards in an overtime loss to Missouri late in the season, and he caught at least one pass in his last 18 college games. He should be able to play at tight end for the Raiders right away.
McGee missed seven games in 2012 for Oklahoma, and he finished the year with only one sack. Over his career, McGee accumulated 9.5 tackles for loss and 2.5 sacks, so he’s not going to come in and make a huge impact. In six games during the 2012 season, McGee registered 21 tackles.
Butler, out of San Diego State, caught 24 passes for 347 yards and four touchdowns in 2012, averaging a stellar 14.5 yards per catch. Butler caught a pass in his last 11 games, and he averaged two catches per game. While Butler isn’t a star, he should add some nice depth. Butler has experience against top-notch competition, as he began his college career at USC.
Bass put up some spectacular numbers for Missouri Western State, registering 11.5 sacks and 16 tackles for loss in 2012. Bass went up against some sub-par competition and may have some trouble transitioning to the NFL game, but his stats are still very good nonetheless. In 2012, the entire Raider team finished the year with a measly 25 sacks. If Bass can make a smooth transition and work his way into Oakland’s defensive line rotation, he could be an impactful player.
The remaining draft picks who are unsigned are CB D.J. Hayden, OT Menelik Watson, LB Sio Moore and QB Tyler Wilson.