Oakland Raiders: Bye Week Notes And Observations

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Oct 11, 2015; Oakland, CA, USA; Oakland Raiders quarterback Derek Carr (4) throws a pass against the Denver Broncos at O.co Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Carr Needs a Third Option

The Raiders loaded up on offensive weapons this offseason. They brought in Amari Cooper – who has proven to be everything he was advertised to be. And more. They brought in Michael Crabtree who, to this point in the season has proven to be a very valuable and very productive member of the receiving corps. They also brought in Clive Walford – which made many think that teamed up with veteran Mychal Rivera, would give one of the more potent pass catching tight end duos in the league.

With Cooper, Crabtree, and returning receivers Rod Streater, Andre Holmes, and newcomer Seth Roberts, the Raiders have one of the more dynamic receiving groups in the NFL.

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The trouble is – outside of Cooper and Crabtree – they’re not utilizing them.

Cooper leads the team with 28 receptions and Crabtree is right behind him with 27. But behind those two, the next highest total by a receiver is Roberts with seven. Latavius Murray is third on the team in receptions with 17, Marcel Reece has 14, and Rivera is fifth on the list with nine. Streater has seldom gotten off the sideline, contributing just one catch.

Though having backs who can catch coming out of the backfield is a valuable asset – and the Raiders have three in Murray, Reece, and Roy Helu – Oakland needs to get more production out of their receivers. They can’t allow defenses to key on Cooper and Crabtree, otherwise if they are able to shut those two down, the offense will stall out. We got a taste of that against Denver.

The Raiders have one of the deepest and most talented receiving corps in the league. This could arguably be a top ten group of wideouts in the NFL. But it’s on OC Bill Musgrave and Derek Carr to find ways to use them, to create mismatches, and ultimately, create opportunities for this offense to really explode onto the scene.

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