Steve Corkran has resurfaced, looks like he bought into a half-a##ed site called RadierBeat (brutal name), and has a final roster preview (my pointless drivel in RED):
Quarterbacks: Derek Carr, Christian Ponder and Matt McGloin.
Comments: Carr is the unquestioned starter only one year after he entered training camp as the presumptive backup to Matt Schaub. Ponder is far more experienced than McGloin, and he has played in offensive coordinator Bill Musgrave’s system before. McGloin has a decided edge over undrafted rookie Cody Fajardo.
Update: Carr still has nothing to worry about in terms of his stranglehold on the starting job. McGloin outperformed Ponder in the Raiders exhibition opener, when he completed 10 of 11 passes for 104 yards and a touchdown. Ponder fared well, too. It’s still too close to call as far as who the primary backup is going to be, but Fajardo remains the odd-man out.
Not too shabby at QB, really. Begins and ends here to see if this team can push for .500
Running backs: Latavius Murray, Roy Helu Jr., Trent Richardson, Taiwan Jones, Marcel Reece and Jamize Olawale.
Comments: Murray has been anointed the heir apparent to Darren McFadden, who signed with the Dallas Cowboys in free agency after six years as the Raiders lead back. Helu Jr. is being envisioned as the third-down, situational back. Richardson was brought in out of curiosity and the fact the former first-round draftee doesn’t cost much if he makes the team. Jones’ ticket to the roster has nothing to do with his ability as a running back and everything to do with his skills as a standout coverage guy on punts and kickoffs. Reece and Olawale are versatile players who have carved out spots based upon that in recent seasons. Michael Dyer and George Atkinson III are long-shots.
Update: Murray showed flashes of brilliance against the Rams and did nothing to change anyone’s opinion about him being the clear-cut starter. Richardson didn’t look particularly sharp in a reserve role. Jones showed nice burst and explosiveness. Helu Jr. is battling an undisclosed injury that has cost him several days of practice. Don’t be surprised if the Raiders go with only five backs and use the other spot elsewhere. If they keep six, it’s conceivable that Dyer gets the nod over Richardson.
I really don't see the angle in carrying two fullbacks. We could use another DL or DB instead. Screw TRich, where's the upside? Give me some Dyer or Jones as 3rd back.
Wide receivers: Amari Cooper, Michael Crabtree, Rod Streater, Andre Holmes, Brice Butler and Trindon Holliday.
Comments: Cooper, Crabtree and Streater are locks. Holmes and Butler showed enough the past two seasons to merit roster spots this season. Holliday gets the nod over undrafted free agent Josh Harper, who caught passes from Carr at Fresno State, based upon his punt and kick-return skills. Harper also is eligible for the practice squad. Kenbrell Thompkins, Seth Roberts, Kris Durham, Milton Williams and Austin Willis are on the outside, searching for a way on the roster.
Update: Cooper and Crabtree looked the part as starters in the Rams game. Streater just returned from a mysterious injury, and he hasn’t played in a game yet. Holmes is out for a month or so with a broken hand. Butler caught a touchdown against the Rams. Those five seem safe to make the roster. The final spot either goes to Holliday, who is the leading candidate to return kicks and punts, or from among a group that includes Kris Durham, Kenbrell Thompkins and Seth Roberts.
Probably won't be popular to say this, but I'm in favor of keeping Holliday for returns. If we have injuries, we can pull Thompkins, Durham , or whoever off the street.
Tight ends: Mychal Rivera, Lee Smith and Clive Walford.
Comments: Rivera’s receptions jumped from 38 to 58 and his yards from 407 to 534 last season as compared to his rookie season in 2013. He still has room to grow as a receiver, with Carr certain to rely upon him more and more. Walford was selected in the third round, and the Raiders envision Walford pushing Rivera for playing time, if not the starting spot, before long. Smith was signed in free agency to provide the kind of consistent and effective blocking that Rivera isn’t capable of doing on an every-down basis. Brian Leonhardt and rookie Gabe Holmes face an uphill battle at a position that seems well stocked.
Update: Not much has changed with this position group, even though Walford has been healthy enough for only two practices and the Rams game. Holmes is making a push for a roster spot, but he likely will get caught up in a numbers game.
Big fan of this group, Rivera always probably made more sense as a receiving 2nd TE, although I think we haven't seen his best. Practice Squad for Holmes I hope, but with Rivera and Walford, tough to see a long term payoff here.
Offensive linemen: Donald Penn, Gabe Jackson, Rodney Hudson, Khalif Barnes, Austin Howard, J’Marcus Webb, Jon Feliciano, Menelik Watson and Matt McCants. Comments: This marks the end of the line for Tony Bergstrom, who was the first player drafted by general manager Reggie McKenzie the year McKenzie joined the Raiders, in 2012. Bergstrom hasn’t panned out at guard or tackle, and he isn’t bound to get much better at the age of 28. Lamar Mady, Mitch Bell, Dan Kistler, Quinterrius Eatmon and Anthony Morris aren’t long for the Raiders, though Morris is a prime candidate for the practice squad.
Update: Penn, Jackson, Hudson, Webb and Watson are penciled in as the starters, from left to right. Howard is competing against Watson at right tackle, but he isn’t making much of a case to this point. The only possible change in the original projections is Bergstrom, who has been working as a backup center. If Bergstrom makes the team, he does so at the expense of McCants, Howard or Feliciano, and in large part so that McKenzie saves face.
Corkran showing a little of the shade that lost him all credibility in the Bay Area. I'm feeling pretty good about this line, clearly the right hand side is weaker, and I wonder if the plan of Webb/Watson holds up, or if it winds up being Howard/Watson, or Webb/Watson. Feliciano, it would be great if he made push to start by next year. It looks like one of Reggie's moves won't work, either the Howard signing or Watson pick. Left tackle is the early leader for priority #1 next offseason.
Defensive linemen: Justin Tuck, Dan Williams, Justin Ellis, Mario Edwards Jr., C.J. Wilson, Denico Autry, Benson Mayowa and Max Valles.
Comments: Tuck, Williams, Ellis and Edwards Jr. are locks. Linebacker Khalil Mack’s pass-rush prowess and edge-setting ability against the run lessens the need for the Raiders to keep another natural defensive end on the roster. Williams and Ellis are the only players listed as defensive tackles to make the roster. However, Wilson can move inside if needed, and Edwards Jr. played inside at Florida State. Third-year tackle Stacy McGee gets caught up in the numbers game. Rookie Leon Orr is an intriguing prospect, but he likely winds up on the practice squad so that he gets much-needed time to develop. Shelby Harris, Gary Wilkins and Ricky Lumpkin simply don’t make the cut.
Update: Harris and Lumpkin looked good on a few plays against the Rams. McGee and Orr aren’t going quietly, either. Still, for any of those guys to make the roster, one of their current linemates has to go. Don’t see any change here.
I think this may be right, but I'm rooting for Harris, hope he gets some PT in the next two weeks. Orr to the PS makes sense. I know Wilson is versatile, but at some point, I'd like to see a young DT boot him off the team. Don't have a strong feeling on Autry or Mayowa, just haven't seen much.
Linebackers: Khalil Mack, Curtis Lofton, Sio Moore, Malcolm Smith, Ray-Ray Armstrong, Ben Heeney and Neiron Ball.
Comments: The Raiders signed Lofton and Smith in free agency with the express purpose of using them as key defensive players. Lofton is slated to fill the void in the middle created by the departure of Nick Roach (concussion) and Miles Burris (released). Moore is back in the starting lineup as long as his surgically repaired hip holds up. Smith and Armstrong make the roster because of their versatility and special-teams prowess. Josh Shirley, Horace Miller and Chase Williams are practice-squad eligible. Look for one or more of these four to land there and get a longer look down the road..
Update: Mack now is listed as an end. However, for the purposes of this exercise, we’ll keep him as a linebacker. Rookies Heeney and Ball looked impressive in their debuts. Shirley had an impressive sack-fumble play against the Rams. He’s going to need to do a lot more than that to carve out a roster spot. The original seven hold on to their spots, unless Moore keeps having difficulty bouncing back from offseason hip surgery.
Best our LBs have looked in years. I thought Ball was going to sit out all year, and he's been practicing and playing well, go figure. I wonder if Heeney can push for the MLB job at some point.
Defensive backs: DJ Hayden, Charles Woodson, TJ Carrie, Nate Allen, Keith McGill, Brandian Ross, Larry Asante and Jonathan Dowling.
Comments: There isn’t a lot of depth here, but keep in mind that Taiwan Jones is available in a pinch. Also, at least one or two defensive backs likely will be stashed away on the practice squad. Going light on numbers at defensive back owes to the need to keep Jones and Trindon Holliday on the roster for their special-teams ability. Far more defensive backs hopefuls get cut than make the 53-man roster — James Dockery, Neiko Thorpe, Dexter McDonald, Rob Daniel, Ras-I Dowling, SaQwan Edwards, Jimmy Hall, Tevin McDonald and Chimdi Chekwa. Dexter McDonald, a seventh-round draft pick in May, is another player seemingly headed to the practice squad.
Update: As expected, this position group is the one in most flux and subject to surprise moves. Hayden, Woodson, Carrie, Allen and McGill appear to be locks. Thorpe and Dexter McDonald are making strong pushes for inclusion on the opening-game roster. For now, we’ll go with those two over Ross and Jonathan Dowling.
Maybe the most questionable part of the roster? Lots of youth, and by the end of the year, we'll know where we stand. Need to find a replacement for Woodson next year--I think. He may play forever.
