Oakland Raiders: Five Players Who Have The Most To Prove In 2015
By Kevin Saito
May 19, 2015; Alameda, CA, USA; Oakland Raiders assistant defensive backs coach Rod Woodson at organized team activities at the Raiders practice facility. From left: Jacoby Hale (56), Brandian Ross (29), Ben Heeney (51), Sio Moore (55), Woodson andJames Dockery (41) and Josh Shirley (47). Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
When GM Reggie McKenzie and HC Jack Del Rio began shaping and refining the Oakland Raiders’ roster for the 2015 season, they had a specific types of player in mind.
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Along with what they believe will be a crop of explosive, young playmakers added through the draft, McKenzie and Del Rio added – and retained – some players with big chips on their shoulders.
Del Rio wants to build a bully in Oakland. He wants to construct a team filled with players who have an edge to them, who as a team, will impose their will and physically dominate on the field.
He wants to bring back that old “Raider mystique” which he describes this way:
"“I was asked the other day about the Raiders mystique. Let me tell you what the mystique was. It was people knowing they were going to get pounded when they played the Raiders. There was fear developed through physical play of this football team.”"
Of course, under Del Rio, the Raiders will be playing a more disciplined game and won’t be taking the silly penalties some of those Raider teams of old did. The fear he is looking to create is more controlled and more based on being physically dominated on the field. He wants other teams to fear the butt kicking Oakland will be unleashing between the lines rather than the fear of seeing a group of Raiders players tracking you down in the parking lot after the game – not that instilling that sort of fear in another team would necessarily be a bad thing either.
And while there is a solid foundation and a core group of younger players who can help move this team forward in terms of bringing that Raider mystique back, there are also players on the fringe. Players who still have much to offer, but players who, for one reason or another, haven’t yet fulfilled their potential.
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This could very well be a make or break year for some of these players in Silver and Black this year. If they perform, perhaps they’ll be rewarded. If not, they’ll likely be allowed to walk away during the offseason, and in some cases, they may not get another shot in the NFL.
The Raiders have a few players who need to play like they’ve got the world’s biggest chip on their shoulders. They have a few players who need to step up and stand out. Some of these players are fighting for a starting job and others are fighting for their jobs, period.
Either way, Oakland has a few players who really have something to prove in 2015…
Next: Michael Crabtree