Oakland Raiders: All-Decade Team for the 2010s

Wide receiver: Michael Crabtree

Despite only playing for the Oakland Raiders for two years, Michael Crabtree makes this list just based on those two seasons considering how weak the Raiders have been at the receiver position during the 2010s.

While Amari Cooper may have had more yards and touchdowns in 2016, in my opinion, Crabtree was the true number one receiver on the team.

When the Raiders needed a first down in a big moment, Crabtree would usually come up clutch.

Carr had more chemistry with Crabtree than he has any receiver he has played with throughout his NFL career. That is why many fans were calling for Gruden and Mayock to sign him during this season as Carr has been playing with mostly a bunch of guys who would be bottom of the roster or practice squad players on most teams.

While his 89 reception, 1,003 yard, eight-touchdown season was his most productive with the Raiders, his 2015 year was also solid, with 85 receptions for 922 yards and nine touchdowns.

Two of Crabtree’s three best seasons came with the Raiders, and those seasons were good enough for him to make this list.

More from All-Time Lists

• Raiders: Ranking the top 5 defensive linemen in franchise history
• Raiders: Ranking the top 5 defensive backs in franchise history
• Raiders: Ranking the top 5 offensive linemen in franchise history
• Raiders: Ranking the top 5 receivers in franchise history
• Raiders: Ranking the top 5 running backs in franchise history

Wide receiver: Amari Cooper

Another receiver who had a disappointing end of his tenure with the Raiders, but for his first couple seasons, he played as he was advertised pre-draft.

Cooper went over 1,000 yards in his rookie season to go along with six touchdowns.

Despite his solid rookie campaign, Cooper did lead the league in drop rate in 2015, though it seemed he may have cleaned those issues up in 2016 where he only dropped four passes.

Cooper didn’t just improve his hands, he improved his whole game, and in his second season, hauled in 83 catches for 1,153 yards and five touchdowns as a key part of the Raiders high-powered offense that led them to the playoffs.

Then comes 2017 where Cooper had his worse season as a pro starting in 12 games and only finishing with 680 yards.

The drops would again come to haunt him and quarterback Derek Carr started to lose trust in his once reliable receiver.

It was clear in 2018 that Amari Cooper all but checked out. The talent was still there, but it wasn’t going to be realized with the Oakland Raiders anymore, and so he was dealt in a mutually beneficial trade to the Cowboys.

While most Raiders fans may have a negative view of Cooper due to the fact that he seemed to not be giving all of his effort his last couple years, there is no denying he was the most talented receiver the team has had this decade.

Tight end: Jared Cook

Jared Cook only played for the team for two years, but those two years dwarf the production any tight end other than current starting tight end Darren Waller has given the team in the past decade.

Cook signed with the team in 2017, and had somewhat of a breakout season, receiving for a then-career-high in yardage with 688 as well as a career-high in receptions with 68 and touchdowns with six.

He bested those numbers in 2018, breaking his career-best in both receptions and yards with 68 receptions for 896 yards.

He was one of the few bright spots on a couple of abysmal Raiders offenses and had the best chemistry a pass catcher has had with Carr other than Michael Crabtree.

It was unfortunate the team couldn’t re-sign him to a deal in free agency, though Waller has kind of made him an afterthought at this point.

That being said, the team does lack talent at the receiver position and Carr loves throwing to tight ends. So keeping him and having the duo of Cook and Waller on the field at the same time would have created some match up nightmares to opposing defenses.