Rounding Up Oakland Raiders' Offseason Buzz, Post-Minicamps
The Oakland Raiders are about a month away from training camp, but that doesn’t stop the headlines, updates and buzz coming out of Alameda.
We’ll revisit Terrelle Pryor’s situation, reveal a potential concern in rookie wide receiver Amari Cooper’s game and provide some scarce updates on a few rookies on the defensive side of the ball.
Who said offseason football is boring? More updates are headed your way.
Terrelle Pryor Not Returning to Oakland
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The buzz about Terrelle Pryor heading back to Oakland as a reinvented wide receiver has officially died—for now.
According to ProFootballTalk writer Mike Florio, the Cleveland Browns claimed Pryor off waivers Monday. In fact, according to ESPN.com’s Bill Williamson via Twitter, the Raiders didn’t even place a claim for him:
"FWIW #Raiders passed on chance to claim Pryor. As expected.
— Bill Williamson (@BWilliamsonESPN) June 22, 2015"
There are no surprises on both fronts. The Browns' leading wide receivers are Brian Hartline and Dwayne Bowe. This is no shot at the "Dawg Pound" in Cleveland, but there’s plenty of opportunity for a developing talent like Pryor within the Browns wide receiver depth chart, as opposed to the stacked talent in Oakland.
The Raiders are excited about their wide receiver corps. The talent at the position extends beyond the veterans. Undrafted rookies Josh Harper and Austin Willis have legitimate chances of hanging on to roster spots leading up to the regular season.
Amari Cooper's Drops
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Speaking of the talented wide receivers on the depth chart, there’s some buzz about the most polished rookie receiver dropping passes during mandatory minicamp. Of course, this caused mass hysteria among fans wondering, "What’s up with Cooper's hands?" Here’s Williamson’s assessment:
"Yes, it was noticeable that first-round pick Amari Cooper had some drops during the June 9-11 minicamp. Is it a concern heading into training camp? I'd say no. Cooper, the No. 4 overall draft pick out of Alabama, didn't have a lot of drops during organized team activities and he didn't have big drop problems in college. In fact, he had an SEC-record 124 catches last year. The kid is sure handed until he proves otherwise. If the drops become an issue in training camp, then the Raiders may have to worry about it. Until then, it's nothing to be concerned about.
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Let’s not talk about practice. Practice? We’re talking about practice, man.
As Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers once said on 540 ESPN, “R-E-L-A-X. Relax.” Cooper is an incoming rookie who caught 228 passes in three college seasons without much of a blip on the radar.
Keep in mind that he and quarterback Derek Carr weren’t on the field together for the majority of the offseason because of Carr’s finger injury. Carr admittedly returned to practice a bit rusty, and the time off the field affected his timing on the field with Cooper, per Silver and Black Pride writer Levi Damien:
"Some of that ‘rust' Derek Carr was talking about on Tuesday was more apparent today. He threw far too many passes to the back shoulder today. On many of those passes, it didn't look intentional. Other times he was simply late, which allowed for passes to be defended. By my count there were five Carr passes which were knocked down by the defender with one intercepted.
Amari Cooper was also not sharp. Whether the weather or just an off day, Cooper dropped a couple passes today, one in the back of the endzone. Carr was also not doing him any favors with regard to putting the ball away from the defender.
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Let’s not lay the blame on Carr’s arm or Cooper’s hands; it’s the lack of practice together. The Carr-Cooper connection has enough time to get in sync before the season kicks off in September.
Update on a Pair of Rookie Linebackers
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News on the defensive rookies has been scarce thus far. It’s hard to see progress in defensive players without pads, running around in shorts, tagging one another. Rookie defensive linemen aren't feasting on quarterbacks and running backs this early in the offseason.
Be that as it may, here are a few encouraging reports on linebackers Ben Heeney and Neiron Ball, per Williamson [sic]:
"Fifth round, Ben Heeney, linebacker: The Raiders' linebacker competition is strong and they could keep seven, while most teams keep six at the position. I think Heeney, a Kansas product is safe. He has adjusting well to the pro game. Teammates have lauded him for intelligence and the way he is helping call the defense some in practice. Expect him to make an immediate impact on special teams.
Fifth round, Neiron Ball, linebacker: Ball is very similar to Heeney. He has been impressive and he should make a crowded linebacker group. Ball is very athletic and been flying around the field despite having microfracture surgery in his knee just seven months ago. Expect to see Ball become a special teams contributor right away.
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Both linebackers are in line to secure spots on special teams, which the team should expect of mid-round defensive draft picks.
Two things, in particular, stood out about these reports. Heeney stepped into camp showing his high football IQ as the quarterback of the defense. That’s a valuable asset—in case inside linebacker Curtis Lofton flops in his first year in Oakland. Instincts and intelligence are building-block assets of top-tier inside linebackers; Heeney has both attributes, per NFL.com's Lance Zierlein.
Ball’s toughness isn’t a myth. He’s active all over the field, seven months after microfracture knee surgery. He’s a fireball who should feed off defensive coordinator Ken Norton Jr.’s energy. There were personal doubts about Ball making the team, but his spunk should land him a spot on special teams, for sure.
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Mike Tice's Ties Hurting Jon Feliciano?
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Offensive line coach Mike Tice’s ties with offensive tackle J’Marcus Webb hurt any slight chance of rookie Jon Feliciano starting at right guard in Week 1.
The team regards Feliciano as the long-term answer at guard. The Raiders passed on a lot of talent to draft the Miami guard in the fourth round (CBS Sports projected him to go undrafted). He deserves a legitimate shot at starting, but Webb’s signing minimized that opportunity.
"I think it hurt Feliciano's chances that journeyman J'Marcus Webb was working ahead of both him and veteran Khalif Barnes during the minicamp," Williamson said. "Webb, who didn't play in the NFL last season, was a tackle in Chicago under new Oakland offensive line coach Mike Tice."
The fact that Webb is leading the competition at guard shows the lack of decent options at the position. He hasn’t started a game since the 2013 season, and tackle is his natural position.
Webb hasn’t played a snap at guard in five seasons, but he’s leading the competition? He’s taking valuable snaps away from Feliciano. At some point, Tice must give Feliciano the opportunity to show what he’s working with as the long-term answer at the position.
I’d feel a lot safer with Austin Howard playing right guard if Feliciano isn’t ready to start in Week 1. By the way, Menelik Watson leads Howard in the battle at right tackle, per Williamson. Why not shift Howard back to his 2014 position if he doesn't start at tackle?
Regardless of what happens at right tackle, Tice cannot allow previous ties to players like Webb to overshadow the potential Feliciano was touted for when the team drafted him in the fourth round. May the best lineman win the position—not the most familiar face to Coach Tice.
All Raiders Rookies Have Signed Contracts, Cap-Space Update
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Finally, the entire 2015 draft class is under contract after defensive end Mario Edwards Jr. inked his deal, per the team’s official website.
This is no big deal, but it’s important to note that the Raiders still have a little more than $20 million in cap space, the fourth most in the league, per Spotrac.
The team could use the excess cash to sign free-agent guard Evan Mathis at a position where Oakland has the least amount of talent. Late-season roster cuts may also draw interest from general manager Reggie McKenzie if the team suffers injuries, particularly at cornerback or defensive end.
The Raiders also have some notable players in contract years:
- WR Rod Streater
- WR Michael Crabtree
- LT Donald Penn
- DE Justin Tuck
- S Charles Woodson
- WR Andre Holmes
- S Brandian Ross
- RT Khalif Barnes
- OLB Ray-Ray Armstrong
In addition, strong play from outside linebacker Sio Moore and running back Latavius Murray may warrant consideration for extensions before the expiration of their contracts in 2017.
McKenzie has managed to ink shrewd, noncumbersome contracts since taking his position. We’ll see if that trend continues as noteworthy players near contractual renewals or releases.
Sound off on the latest Raider buzz! You can follow Maurice Moton on Twitter and give your input!
Statistics provided by Pro-Football-Reference.com, ESPN.com and Sports-Reference.com.
Player contracts and team cap space courtesy of Spotrac.
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