The Oakland Raiders have high expectations for Amari Cooper in year one and he is expected to start for quarterback Derek Carr along with Rod Streater and Michael Crabtree at wide receiver and this comes as Trent Richardson and Latavius Murray are set to compete in training camp to see who will be the number one running back on the depth chart.
The Raiders took Cooper with the fourth overall pick in the draft and now he has the chance to start right away for the team on offense. Cooper is coming in after having a monster season at Alabama and he gives the Raiders the number one receiver they have been lacking for years. Derek Carr had a very solid rookie season and adding a player like Cooper should help him develop in the right direction.
The Raiders feel that they have a strong foundation ion place to rebuild after years of being one of the worst teams in football. The team has a new head coach in Jack Del Rio and they also have a young quarterback that they feel can be the starter for years to come. Carr started all 16 games last season for the Raiders and that is a good way to build things and it was in stark contrast compared to the previous season when the team used multiple quarterbacks.
Adding Cooper gives the Raiders depth, as they brought in Michael Crabtree as a free agent and they are also getting Rod Streater back from an injury. There will be less pressure on Crabtree and Streater this season with Cooper in the fold and that could help them both stay productive. According to CSN Bay Area, Streater was on the radio with 95.7 The Game and spoke about his recovery from being injured and also the potential of the Raiders wideouts this season.
Streater used the word "explosive" when describing the group and he said that Cooper has looked very good in offseason workouts. Streater said that camp is important for the entire offense, but also for himself this year, as he played in only three games while dealing with an ankle injury last season. That did not allow him to get into a rhythm with Carr and now in training camp he will get that chance.
Back in June CSN Bay Area reported that Streater "appeared to have his explosiveness back" after dealing with foot surgery and he could push to be the number three receiver this year. Cooper is locked in at number one and with Crabtree likely number two, Streater, Andre Holmes, Brice Butler and Kenbrell Thompkins will get the chance to compete.
The Raiders also have a running back competition going, as Murray and Richardson are set to compete to start this season. Murray has dealt with injuries over his first two seasons, but he played in 15 games last year and showed some flashes of a number one. According to Bill Williamson at ESPN.com, Murray is "expected to win" the starting job after taking the first team reps in minicamp. Richardson also will get a shot, but he has more to prove after his disappointing run in Indianapolis.
Check here for more on the Oakland Raiders and the WRs heading into training camp, including Amari Cooper, Rod Streater and Michael Crabtree for Derek Carr.
