Patterson Could Give Oakland Raiders A Much Needed Spark

The Oakland Raiders are scheduled to meet with free agent wide receiver/kick returner Cordarrelle Patterson, who could provide the team with a little more pop.

With Oakland Raiders GM Reggie McKenzie notably absent from this year’s free agent derby thus far, any scrap of news is making news. The latest – and virtually only – tidbit is that Cordarrelle Patterson, former Minnesota Vikings wide receiver/kick returner will be meeting with the Raiders to talk about possible employment – it’s a meeting expected to take place on Sunday.

With Oakland’s defense an Achilles Heel for this team much of last season, Patterson is not necessarily the player fans hoped to see come in for a sit down. But he’s a player who could potentially add a little more sizzle and pop to not just the offense, but more importantly, to Oakland’s special teams.

In the passing game, Patterson could give Derek Carr another weapon to use. Yes, Patterson had some issues with consistency in Minnesota and fell out of favor. But last season, he managed to haul in 74 percent of the passes thrown his way (52 receptions on 70 targets) for 453 yards and a pair of scores.

But Patterson’s biggest impact came in the kick return game, where he returned 25 kicks for 792 yards – an average of 31.7 yards per return (his third season averaging over 30 yards a return). He also ran one back for a touchdown – the fifth return for a touchdown of his career.

Those number far eclipse anything the Raiders were able to do in the return game last season. Rookie Jalen Richard led Oakland with a 23.6 yards per return average and the return team totaled zero touchdowns on the year.

In a game where field position matters as much as it does, the extra yardage could make a world of difference for this offense.

Given that Michael Crabtree, Amari Cooper, and Seth Roberts are entrenched as Oakland’s top three receiving options, the possibility of signing Patterson would likely be primarily for special teams with the occasional pass thrown his way.

Of course, if Oakland’s receivers continue having trouble holding on to the ball, as they have for the last couple of seasons, it’s possible that Patterson – should they sign him – could see a couple more targets coming his way.

For a team needing help on the defensive side of the ball, it seems strange that McKenzie would prioritize setting up a meeting with Patterson over some other players still floating around out there (see: Dont’a Hightower, Zach Brown, et al.)

Adding a little more pop to the special teams and the passing game though, isn’t necessarily a bad thing – especially with the very real possibility that Andre Holmes signs as a free agent elsewhere.

It’s not the report many a Raider fan was hoping for, with most hoping to see the team key in on an impact player on the defensive side of the ball. But if it works out, Patterson could be an interesting and productive piece that maybe, the teams actually needs.

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For now though, it still resides in the realm of pure speculation and possibility as a meeting guarantees nothing. After all, Patterson has had meetings with Washington and Chicago already – though the Raiders offer Patterson a better chance at winning sooner rather than later, like those other two teams.

There’s nothing solid at the moment and the situation is very fluid, but it’s something interesting that’s definitely worth keeping an eye on.