Five Observations From The Oakland Raiders’ Woeful Preseason
Aug 16, 2013; New Orleans, LA, USA; Oakland Raiders wide receiver Brice Butler (19) is pushed out of bounds by New Orleans Saints free safety Malcolm Jenkins (27) in the first half at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. New Orleans defeated Oakland 28-20. Mandatory Credit: Crystal LoGiudice-USA TODAY Sports
2. Brice Butler enters his name in the wide receiver competition:
The Raiders entered the preseason without a solidified option as the go-to receiver. The Raiders have not have a 1,000 yard receiver since 2005 with Randy Moss. The team had hoped former first-round pick Darius Heyward-Bey would be that player, but they released him as cap casualty early in the offseason.
They entered camp with the expectation that the electrifying Denarius Moore would become more consistent in his big play ability and step up as the number option. Moore finished the preseason with 55 yards on four receptions and one touchdown. Moore has been a major headache for Raiders coaches with his inconsistency. He will be brilliant on one play and then make a boneheaded mistake on the next few. He has the ability to be a major big threat, but can put it together with the mental game needed to put it all together.
With Moore’s inability to step up to be the number one, it allowed Rod Streater to enter his name into the competition. Streater was a lot like Moore last with season, as he suffered from drops and mental lapses. This offseason, he spent time working on his craft. He came into looking light years ahead of where he was last season and looked ready to step into the role as the team’s number one. Streater has put together a quiet preseason with just 51 yards on four receptions and he also suffered a concussion, which could raise questions throughout the season.
A new name has emerged recently with Brice Butler. Butler has been the most impressive receiver in the preseason. Butler has five receptions for 108 yards and a touchdown in three games. Butler has tantalizing measurables, as he stands at 6’3” and 214 pounds with a 4.37 40-yard dash time. He has flashed that potential with his big play potential, but he has shown a solid grasp of multiple receivers positions and is an extremely smooth route runner.
Butler has recently earned reps with the first-team offense and is reported to be pushing the fragile Jacoby Ford at the slot position. Bulter has the potential to become the Raiders’ big play option, especially if Moore is unable to become more consistent. Butler also has better size than Moore, which will allow him to work underneath in traffic. Keep an eye on the young receiver, as he could be one of the few bright spots this season.
3. The offensive line is a mess with Jared Veldheer:
The biggest loss this season has been left tackle Jared Veldheer. Veldheer was the best player on an already suspect offensive line for the Oakland Raiders. Veldheer suffered an arm injury in training camp earlier this month and after two MRIs the result came back with a torn triceps injury. He is projected to miss at least three months and could be a candidate to be placed on the injured reserved/designated to return list.
In his absence, the team has turned to former first-round pick Alex Barron to protect the blindside. Barron has been more like a turnstile than wall, as teams abused him all throughout the preseason. He played a major in the fiasco against the Saints, where the team allowed Flynn to be sacked five times. His play has been so poor that the team turned to rookie offensive tackle Menelik Watson to play left tackle in the preseason finale against the Seahawks, but Watson has never played left tackle at any point in his football career.
Watson looked pretty strong in his run blocking, but looked suspect at times in his pass coverage. It would be a tough task to ask the rookie to take over the full time left tackle slot during the regular season.
Overall, the line play has been poor at best. The team has surrendered 16 sacks in four preseason games, which could be a major reason no quarterback has been able to step to the forefront in the competition for the starting quarterback job. They will need to shore up the leaks in the line, if they want to have any chance at success this season.
The running game has again suffered to gain any traction and continues to struggle overall. The team has gained just 432 yards on the ground throughout the four games. A lot of those yards have come in an unconventional way with Pryor rushing for 131 yards in the preseason. The offensive line has struggled to consistently create push in the run game and the running backs do not have any significant holes to run through. The run game is going to be key to opening up the passing game and taking the pressure off of the quarterbacks.
The Raiders will definitely have their eyes on the waiver wire this weekend when teams trim their rosters down to the 53-man limit.