Oakland Raiders: Most Important X-Factor at Each Offensive Position Group

It's been an annual conversation for years. But this time, there's some real substance to the notion that the Oakland Raiders might have finally turned the corner back to success.

Each position group on the roster is improved. But each position group also has a question mark, a key role that needs to be filled.

While they might not be the biggest names, each of these players will have an important job to do this upcoming season. And how well they perform will have a major impact not only on that position group, but on the team as a whole.

The Raiders will need major contributions from some unheralded players in 2015. If these players come through, the Raiders will be in prime position to return to NFL relevance.

For those of you wondering about the absence of a fullback, ESPN NFL Insider Adam Caplan tweeted back in March that the Raiders "are not expected to use a FB this season. More of an H-back, or F-Back, in addition to TEs." Given the elimination of the position in Oakland, it hasn't been included on this list.

Offensive Line: Austin Howard

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Starting from the left side of the offensive line, the Raiders are set from left tackle through center with Donald Penn, Gabe Jackson and Rodney Hudson. While not as exciting, the Raiders are actually also OK for one season at right guard with Khalif Barnes.

But the player who's going to make or break this unit is Austin Howard.

While Oakland is anywhere from OK to great at every other spot, the right tackle position is the one glaring question mark in the unit. While it'll be an open competition through camp between Austin Howard and Menelik Watson, my money's on the more experienced Howard.

Despite some of the bad rap he's gotten since arriving in Oakland, Howard has actually proven to be an effective right tackle. He stared all 32 games at right tackle for the New York Jets from 2012 to 2013. He wasn't outstanding, but he was effective.

The Raiders added Howard last year and decided to move him to right guard, where he struggled transitioning to the new position. A move back to right tackle this year should lead to a return to the form that he showed while with the Jets.

Right tackle is the one missing piece of Oakland's offensive line. An effective Howard will secure the right edge, which would turn the Oakland offensive line into one of the more solid units in the league.

Tight End: Lee Smith

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All the talk about the Oakland tight end position has been about the competition at the top of the depth chart between incumbent starter Mychal Rivera and rookie Clive Walford. They'll take up the top two spots on the depth chart by the time the season starts.

What makes these two the favorites is their ability to catch the ball. However, Rivera is a subpar blocker, and it remains to be seen how effective Walford can be in this role at the NFL level.

The team's best blocking tight end is free-agent addition Lee Smith, and it's not even close. Blocking isn't a glamorous role, but it's crucial to the success of the offense.

One of the issues that the Raiders are currently dealing with is establishing reliable blocking on the right side of the offensive line. Smith will help with that. Another major problem on offense is the running game, which, to put it bluntly, was pathetic last season. Smith can help with that as well.

While he won't get many (if any) headlines, Smith is in prime position to be one of Oakland's unheralded heroes.

Per Raiders.com's Jerry Knaak, Oakland tight ends coach Bobby Johnson had this to say about the Raiders' current group of tight ends: "Because each guy has their niche, we can highlight those guys’ strengths and not make them play to weaknesses."

This is great news for Smith. He's a lunch pail-and-hard hat kind of player. Smith is a blocking specialist, and with pass-catching duties being handled by Rivera and Walford, he'll be able to focus on what he does best.

After last year's embarrassing performance on the ground, the Oakland rushing attack needs all the help it can get. Smith's play will go a long way in improving the rushing attack. He won't get much recognition, but he can prove to be one of the offense's most important players based on the impact he'll have on the Oakland running game.

Wide Receiver: Rod Streater

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Heading into the 2014 season, the Raiders had a plan at wide receiver. Rod Streater, with his ability to stretch the field and make plays, was set to be the No. 1 receiver. Sure-handed veteran James Jones was going to be the No. 2 receiver, providing the passing game with reliable, consistent production.

Unfortunately, Streater was injured in Week 3, and the entire wide receiver depth chart was thrown off for the rest of the season.

In 2015, the Raiders are going with different players but a similar approach. Rookie Amari Cooper is well on his way to being the No. 1 receiver, and he'll be responsible for being Oakland's biggest playmaker at the position. The No. 2 wide receiver/reliable veteran role will likely go to Michael Crabtree.

This leaves Streater's place in the offense in question, but he's a prime candidate to settle in as Oakland's No. 3 receiver. That might seem like a major drop for the team's former top receiver. But in an increasingly pass-happy league, Streater has the potential to be a major factor in this role.

Cooper and Crabtree getting most of the attention will free up Streater to wreak havoc against third- and fourth-string cornerbacks. Having a wide receiver with No. 1 ability lined up against deep-on-the-depth-chart cornerbacks? That's an ideal scenario for the Oakland offense.

Streater can be used in the slot, which has become an increasingly important position in NFL offenses. He's also proven that he can be dangerous on the outside. His versatility and ability can be what takes the Raiders' passing attack from being occasionally effective to a top-15 passing attack.

That's a major improvement for what was the league's worst passing attack last season, and it can directly lead to at least a few more wins in 2015.

Running Back: Roy Helu Jr.

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Who will be Oakland's starting running back this season? Maybe it'll be Latavius Murray. Or maybe it'll be Trent Richardson. But regardless of who eventually gets the nod, the most important running back on the roster could turn out to be Roy Helu Jr.

With all of the other additions that Oakland has made this offseason through both free agency and the draft, the signing of Helu hasn't received much attention. However, the vastly underrated running back has the potential to be a crucial offensive weapon.

Helu won't be the featured back. Instead, his role will be that of a pass-catcher/third-down back. This will make good use of what he's best known for, which is his ability to catch the ball. In 48 career games, he has 129 receptions for 1,152 yards. That's 8.9 yards per reception while averaging less than three receptions per game. Increased touches in Oakland should lead to increased production.

Aside from his rookie season, Helu has never been the featured back, but he's shown he can be an effective rusher. For his career, he's averaged 4.4 yards per carry. His lack of impact as a rusher hasn't been due to a lack of ability. He just hasn't had enough opportunities.

As for Helu himself, he's comfortable in Oakland, which should translate onto the field. Via Rebecca Corman of Raiders.com, Helu stated, "This is the most excited I’ve been to play football in the NFL thus far." He added, "I could have gone to any team and [the Raiders] showing enough interest where I felt really comfortable to play here. It feels nice to be wanted."

Helu is a versatile offensive weapon. The Raiders knew that, which is why they went after him in free agency. He should be a significant part of the offensive game plan, which should lead to Helu being one of Derek Carr's most dangerous weapons.

Quarterback: Derek Carr

Yes, this is an easy one. But it doesn't change the fact that the fortunes of the entire Oakland Raiders franchise are in the hands of second-year quarterback Derek Carr.

There are some who point out Carr's ball security (12 interceptions), low sack total (24) and command of the offense as signs that he's the real deal. Others look at his below-average passing yards per game (204.4) and yards per attempt (5.5) as evidence that the "Derek Carr is the future of the franchise" train needs to slow down.

The reality is that as of now, Carr is somewhere in the middle. He showed enough as a rookie to inspire cautious hope that the Raiders, after more than a decade, have finally found Rich Gannon's replacement. But there are also several areas in his game that require major improvement.

Can Carr be Oakland's franchise quarterback? Yes. He truly does have that potential. He has the arm strength, he has the accuracy and he knows how to lead an NFL offense.

As incoming free-agent running back Roy Helu Jr. noted, via Raiders.com's Rebecca Corman, "Once I came [to Oakland], I knew who the leader was. Derek was that guy and I’ve seen how he’s brought everything together. His leadership is very evident."

Yes, the players around Carr share a significant amount of the responsibility for the offense's success. But in 2015, Carr is going to be the deciding factor between the offense being dangerous week in and week out or once again being an unreliable, sometimes ineffective unit.

Being expected to put the offense, and the franchise, on his back might be a tall order for a second-year quarterback. But if Carr truly is a franchise quarterback, he'll be up to the task.

You can check out the Raiders' most important x-factor at each defensive position group here.

Unless otherwise noted, all stats taken from Pro-Football-Reference.com and NFL.com.

Who do you think are Raiders' biggest X-factors on offense? Share your thoughts in the comments section below and on at Twitter @BrianJ_Flores.