The Oakland Raiders are coming into training camp with high expectations on offense this season and players like Amari Cooper, Mychal Rivera, Rod Streater, Clive Walford and Michael Crabtree will have pressure to perform for quarterback Derek Carr and this comes as the team has Trent Richardson and Latavius Murray battling to start at running back.
The Raiders picked Cooper fourth overall in the draft and they are expecting him to be an impact player right away. The Raiders have not had a true number one receiver in many years and now Cooper can take that mantle. The team added Michael Crabtree in free agency and the return of Rod Streater could give Carr a deep roster of players at wideout. According to CSN Bay Area, Streater said that he thinks the group could be explosive and this comes after Cooper got high marks from coaches in offseason workouts.
The Raiders also have a battle brewing at running back, as Latavius Murray and Trent Richardson are looking to start for the Raiders. According to Bill Williamson at ESPN.com, Murray is the likely starter to open the season and he writes that Murray is "ready to become a standout" with the Raiders. Last season Murray showed some strong flashes with 424 yards rushing and 5.2 yards per carry average. Richardson is coming off of a disappointing run with the Colts and he could be slotted in as the backup for Murray with Roy Helu, who was signed in the offseason.
Cooper is coming in after making 124 catches for 1727 yards and 16 touchdowns with Alabama and he now is the top target for Carr. The Raiders appear to have their QB for the future in Carr, as he had a solid rookie season and played in all 16 games after winning the job last summer. Carr is coming in after throwing for 21 TDs and 12 picks with 3270 yards and he could be even better with the additions coming in for the Raiders.
Cooper gives Carr a deep threat and an explosive option on the outside, while Crabtree, Streater, Andre Holmes, Kenbrell Thompkins and Josh Harper add depth. Crabtree was a disappointment with the Niners, but now that he is a second or third receiver with the Raiders, he could be the perfect veteran option for Carr. Streater is coming back from an ankle injury and CSN Bay Area reports that he could be the number three receiver behind Cooper and Crabtree.
Last season Streater played in just three games and had nine catches for 84 yards and one touchdown. Streater had his best season in 2013 and it looked like he was on his way to becoming a solid NFL contributor before getting injured. Streater had 60 catches for 888 yards and four touchdowns in 2013 and he will be looking to get back to that form this season. The Raiders are expecting improvement this year and the offense could be the main key for it happening.
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