Oakland Raiders: 4 Intriguing Position Battles Worth Keeping An Eye On
By Kevin Saito
Jul 30, 2013; Napa, CA, USA; Oakland Raiders receiver Rod Streater (80) catches a pass at training camp at Napa Valley Marriott. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
Wide Receiver – Rod Streater v. Michael Crabtree
It probably goes without saying that first round draft pick Amari Cooper is going to be one of Oakland’s starting wide receivers. That’s not likely going to shock anybody.
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The interesting battle though, is going to be for Oakland’s second wide receiver spot. Many seem to think that Michael Crabtree has the spot all locked up and will be starting opposite Cooper when the season begins. Others think that Rod Streater is going to get the nod to start alongside Cooper.
While Crabtree has the experience, he never seemed to fully recover from his 2013 Achille’s injury. In 2014, he lacked explosiveness and wasn’t close to being a downfield threat. That lack of explosiveness – possibly exacerbated by San Francisco’s overall offensive struggles last season – led to a big drop in production from Crabtree last season.
Some think that Crabtree will be back to what he was before the Achille’s injury this season, and that he is the right choice to start opposite Cooper, given his experience.
On the other hand, Streater – now heading into his fourth season with the Raiders – has a lot of upside. He had a breakout year in 2013, in which he caught 60 balls for 888 yards and four scores. He seemed destined for bigger and better things. An injury, three games into the 2014 season sidelined him for the year, and did not allow him to build on that momentum from the year before.
But Streater is back, he’s healthy, and he’s ready to roll. Given that he’s younger, has the explosiveness that Crabtree lacks, and may have a higher ceiling at this point, many believe that Streater should start on the outside opposite Cooper, with Crabtree shifting inside to play the slot.
Given that Del Rio and OC Bill Musgrave have, on multiple occasions, stated their intent to incorporate elements of a no huddle, spread attack, we’ll undoubtedly see plenty of multiple receiver sets in which we’ll see Crabtree, Cooper, and Streater on the field at the same time.
But in more conventional two receiver sets, will it be Cooper and Crabtree? Or will it be Cooper and Streater? We don’t know the answer to that at this point, but it will be an interesting battle to watch play out over the summer.