Oakland Raiders: 5 Most Crucial Training Camp Position Battles to Watch

The Oakland Raiders' training camp is approximately two weeks away, which makes this the perfect time to discuss some crucial position battles.

The offense has outgrown the defense in terms of talent on paper, but there are some question marks along the offensive line and in the backfield.

The window of opportunity is also nearing a close for a former first-round draft pick on the other side of the ball.

Who enters training camp with an edge over the competition? Who should you expect to win the battles? Those answers will be presented in ranked order, from the least crucial matchup to the most crucial matchup for the remainder of the offseason.

5. No. 5 Wide Receiver: Josh Harper vs. Brice Butler

Jeff Chiu/Associated Press

Josh Harper

Winner: Josh Harper

What’s so interesting about a No. 5 wide receiver battle? Josh Harper has an inroad with quarterback Derek Carr—they played together at Fresno State—which automatically puts him in the mix to win this position. However, Brice Butler has spent two years with the Raiders and hopes to deliver in his third year as a developing talent.

Butler’s floor is a lot lower than Harper’s. If Harper doesn’t make the 53-man roster, he’s a perfect practice squad stash. He holds a specific value to Carr that doesn’t exist with any other quarterback in the league. If Butler doesn’t make the 53-man roster, he’s gone. 

Butler hasn’t produced much in two years for the Raiders. He wasn’t a high-end college wide receiver, accumulating just 347 receiving yards and four touchdowns in his best season at San Diego State. At this point, Butler doesn’t have a standout collegiate or pro career as proof of his high potential.

Harper had two consecutive 1,000-yard receiving seasons with the Bulldogs, one with Carr and one without him. His connection to the second-year quarterback puts Butler at a big disadvantage because of human nature: You’re more likely to focus on helping someone you’re more acquainted with than a fringe wide receiver you’ve known for a year. It’s the cold hard truth.

Harper flashed his potential without Carr on the field in the beginnings of the offseason, per CSNBayArea reporter Scott Bair via Twitter:

"

Just talked to Fresno St. alum Josh Harper. He and Derek Carr have talked every day about the offense. Harper made some good plays on Day 1.

— Scott Bair (@BairCSN) May 8, 2015"

Here are some notes on Butler during the final stages of mandatory minicamp, according to SilverandBlackPride.com writer Levi Damien:

“About halfway through practice, Brice Butler was not taking passes anymore, and was jogging on the sideline. After that, he was sidelined, watching the remainder of practice. We'll see if he is able to return to practice on Wednesday.”

Here’s Damien on Wednesday’s follow up:

“Carrie and Butler worked in drills but were sidelined for team sessions. Carrie was noticeably limping on Tuesday but practiced through it. Butler was hurt in practice yesterday and was a no go for teams sessions late in practice.”

4. No. 2 Running Back: Trent Richardson vs. Michael Dyer

Eric Risberg/Associated Press

Trent Richardson

Winner: Trent Richardson

Both players are looking to revert back to their prime years in the college ranks. Trent Richardson is a low-risk, high-reward player only guaranteed $600,000 in a two-year deal. The Raiders can easily release him for underachieving, which opens the door for Michael Dyer. Roy Helu Jr. likely sticks to his spot as a utility running back handling third-down situations and passing downs.

According to ESPN’s Bill Williamson via Twitter, Dyer had an impressive offseason:

"

In addition to vet RBs, UFA Michael Dyer also has a chance to make roster if he has a good camp. He had good offseason. #Raiders

— Bill Williamson (@BWilliamsonESPN) June 25, 2015"

Dyer was the only other running back to garner praise from the coaching staff about his practice on the field aside from Latavius Murray, according to Raiders.com (h/t SiriusXM NFL Radio). Offensive line coach Mike Tice made a reference to Richardson shedding some weight but had no comment on whether his field vision has improved.

Ironically, both Dyer and Richardson had their best collegiate performance in 2011 playing for Southeastern Conference rivals Auburn and Alabama, respectively. Alabama came out on top that year, providing the recognition Richardson continues to ride in the NFL.

The Raiders would like to see if Richardson is capable of recapturing that glory and will give him the first crack at complementing Murray in the backfield. Dyer would have to impress on a high level to earn the primary backup position.

In the worst-case scenario for Dyer, he'll earn a spot on the practice squad for a year before contributing on the active roster.

3. Starting Right Guard: J’Marcus Webb vs. Khalif Barnes

Eric Risberg/Associated Press

Khalif Barnes

Winner: Khalif Barnes

According to Williamson J’Marcus Webb has taken the bull by the horns and leads the competition for the starting right guard position.

Don't put too much stock in Webb holding on to a particular spot on the offensive line. Head coach Jack Del Rio made it clear when talking to Damien of SilverandBlackPride.com that he wants versatility from Webb:

"

I don't think he played guard in a game for him before, but he's playing guard for us. He's been playing guard all spring for us. He's really playing four spots. He's playing both guards and both tackles. We'll find out how that fits, but he's one of the guys that's over there competing on that right side.

"

Starting Webb at right guard is just an offseason experiment. Khalif Barnes has recent and significant playing experience at the right guard position. He should ultimately outperform Webb, who’s learning the nuances of playing the guard position from a new outlook.

2. Offensive Tackle: Menelik Watson vs. Austin Howard

Tim Ireland/Associated Press

Menelik Watson

Winner: Menelik Watson

The Raiders are heavily invested in both Menelik Watson and Austin Howard. Watson is a former second-round draft pick, and Oakland signed Howard to a five-year, $30 million deal in 2014.

Even though Watson leads the competition, per Williamson, this battle could go either way.

There was a lot of excitement about Howard moving back to his natural position at tackle. However, if Howard, a five-year veteran, cannot outperform a player with only 17 career games on his resume and limited collegiate experience at the position, he should be shuffled back to guard.

The Raiders aren’t giving up on their 2013 draft class just yet. Watson hasn’t played enough to assess his full potential and remains in his developmental stages. If he wins the competition, it’s an added plus. Howard would become a high-end swing lineman capable of playing both guard and tackle—a younger version of Barnes.

Eventually, the Raiders will have to address the gaping hole at right guard. Howard’s run-blocking skills are far better than his pass-blocking capabilities, per Pro Football Focus, which makes him a solid fit at right guard instead of right tackle.

1. No. 2 Cornerback: Keith McGill vs. D.J. Hayden

Associated Press

(left) No. 39 Keith McGill (right) No. 30 SaQwan Edwards

Winner: Keith McGill

This is the competition that Raider Nation should keep an eye on from the beginning of training camp until the end of preseason.

The Raiders have shown the utmost confidence in their young cornerbacks. Does this confidence say much about D.J. Hayden, Keith McGill or both?

Oakland is straddling the fence by giving both players starting reps, per Williamson, with McGill getting the majority.

ESPN NFL Insiders' Adam Caplan provided some evidence that the Raiders may have come to terms with the fact that Hayden may develop into just an average cornerback via Twitter:

"

Another #Raiders source on CB D.J. Hayden: "May never be a star, but way he closed last season left everyone excited about his progress."

— Adam Caplan (@caplannfl) June 5, 2015"

It’s even disputable Hayden ended the season on good note as far as performance, giving up far more touchdowns than any other cornerback on the roster, according to PFF.

Nonetheless, he’s getting the benefit of the doubt, but McGill has obviously garnered some attention from defensive coordinator Ken Norton Jr.

Norton might want to mirror what he was used to seeing with the Seattle Seahawks' lengthy defensive backs, or Hayden’s history of injuries may have scared him into splitting the reps.

Regardless of the reason, McGill allows the Raiders to play bump-and-run coverage on the perimeter. It’s a slight change that’s worth exploring when the talent is available. The intrigue in McGill—and the ability to switch up the pass coverage—should propel him over Hayden's average outlook.

Who do you think will win these five crucial position battles? All opinions welcome. Follow Maurice Moton on Twitter for NFL and Raiders news. 

All statistics are provided by Pro-Football-Reference.com and Sports-Reference.com unless otherwise noted.