Oakland Raiders Veterans with Most to Lose in Training Camp

As we inch closer to the opening of Oakland Raiders' training camp, there are some veteran players in danger of losing their starting positions and roster spots altogether.

The outlook of the 2014 and 2015 draft classes are bright, placing tremendous pressure on their experienced counterparts to fulfill expectations for the upcoming season.

The Raiders have a handful of players who are on the brink of demotion or elimination pending a poor conclusion to the offseason.

The majority of these players are positioned in weak or deep positions, driving in-house competition among teammates to re-establish themselves.

Which veteran players are further under the microscope than most? We’ll discuss five particular players on the hot seat.

Cornerback D.J. Hayden

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D.J. Hayden

Whoever opens training camp with the first team between cornerbacks D.J. Hayden and Keith McGill opens up an interesting storyline either way. The pendulum continues to swing as to who becomes the starter alongside Travis Carrie. However, one thing is for sure. The Raiders must handle Hayden very carefully.

On one side of the spectrum, you don’t want to damage his confidence, which is very important for cornerbacks who cover No. 1 and No. 2 receivers every week. Cornerbacks now and then get burned in coverage. It happens.

Nonetheless, a demotion would be a major blow for Hayden’s outlook as a former first-round pick. A blow he’d have to overcome by staying healthy and putting on great performances as the No. 3 cornerback.

Here’s the other side of the coin. It’s possible the coaching staff split the first-team reps during mandatory minicamp to preserve Hayden. It sounds odd for a young 25-year-old in preservation mode, but he overcame a myriad of injuries to reach his third NFL season. Here’s the tally of injuries during his professional career: 

• Abdominal adhesions (abdominal surgery), missed rookie minicamps and organized team activities in 2013, per Associated Press (via ESPN.com)
• Sports hernia surgery, missed second half of 2013 season, per Pro Football Talk (h/t CSNBayArea.com reporter Scott Bair) via Twitter
• Foot injury, missed training camp and first half of 2014 season, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter and Bill Williamson

Defensive coordinator Ken Norton Jr. could opt to exercise the safe route in handling Hayden throughout practice to avoid significant injuries. There's also a problematic conundrum when limiting Hayden's reps. He has only played in 18 games (10 starts) and still needs the practice reps to maximize his potential.

The frustration for some NFL players arises when realizing their bodies cannot handle the violent nature of the game. Hayden’s injury history is compounded by his near fatal injury suffered in college. Norton may continue to ease up on Hayden's workload during training camp to ensure he's 100 percent for the season opener.

Unfortunately, McGill may surpass Hayden as he gains significant reps and playing time during the preseason. Hayden has overcome physical hurdles to play in a tough physical league, but he’s best-suited to at least share his time with the first team until he’s completely clear of health issues.

If he plays behind McGill in the slot, it’s a demotion that he may not be able to overcome because of his durability issues.

Wide Receiver Brice Butler

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Brice Butler

Wide receiver Brice Butler is clearly battling for a spot on the roster, per NBCBayArea.com reporter Doug Williams.

General manager Reggie McKenzie and Co. made a conscious effort to equip quarterback Derek Carr with offensive skill players ready to contribute right away.

Oakland signed wide receiver Michael Crabtree in free agency, drafted wide receiver Amari Cooper in the first round and signed undrafted free-agent wide receivers Josh Harper and Austin Willis who stand a good chance of making the 53-man roster.

Unfortunately for Butler, the No. 5 and No. 6 wide receiver spots become highly contested positions. In some situations, these fringe spots are reserved for kick returners, an area of need for the Raiders. Butler doesn’t have experience as a kick returner in college or the NFL, putting him at a disadvantage.

Butler needs an impressive training camp and preseason or it’s adios to the third-year receiver with very limited production in college and the pros.

Offensive Lineman Austin Howard

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No. 77 Austin Howard

In an ironic turn of events, offensive lineman Austin Howard could lose a competition at his natural position to Menelik Watson at right tackle. He'd become a solid backup lineman with a gaping hole at his old position at right guard.

As a proponent of signing free-agent guard Evan Mathis to relieve the issues at right guard, it’s surprising to see Sfbay.ca writer Jason Leskiw’s perceived floor for Howard as a roster casualty via Twitter.

Howard is too valuable to release even if McKenzie decides to sign Mathis at some point. Watson must prove he’s a quality 16-game starter before considering releasing any potential starting offensive linemen on the roster.

However, cutting Howard would save the organization $5 million in cap room, per Overthecap.com, which may entice McKenzie to make a financial savings move pending Mathis’ price tag.

Offensive Lineman J’Marcus Webb

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J'Marcus Webb

Offensive lineman J’Marcus Webb faces immediate pressure to win the starting spot at right guard because of the lack of options at the position.

Right guard is the glaring hole in the offensive line that could place a cap on running back Latavius Murray’s production. It could also give Carr nightmares as massive defensive tackles bull rush right up the middle.

Rookie Jon Feliciano continues to take a backseat to Webb and Khalif Barnes on the practice field. As a potential starter for the 2015 season, he’s way off the mark.

The Raiders must rely on Barnes who serves as a solid backup, or Webb who has yet to take a regular-season snap at guard in his five-year career.

Webb will go through growing pains as a transitional guard similar to Howard in 2014, if he earns the starting spot. Failure to secure the starting spot will likely push him into the background as the team preps Feliciano for the future.

Webb’s past history with offensive line coach Mike Tice helps his outlook, but nothing (not even politics) can hide poor performances on the field. Webb struggled in all three years as a starting tackle for the Chicago Bears from the 2010-12 seasons, per Pro Football Focus.

Quarterback Christian Ponder

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Christian Ponder

Quarterback Christian Ponder hoped to revitalize his career as a solid primary backup in Oakland, but he stands next to a young talented signal-caller in Matt McGloin.

As an experienced starter and five-year veteran, dropping to No. 3 on the depth chart would be a major blow. Ponder’s past history with offensive coordinator Bill Musgrave should prevent that from happening barring an atrocious training camp performance.

Politics aside, McGloin is the better pure talent at the position and could garner some interest on the trade block. In fact, both quarterbacks should garner interest on the trade block with a shortage of quality backup quarterbacks in the league.

The Raiders have a good problem at the quarterback position, but Ponder dropping from starter to No. 3 in two seasons would hurt his trade value.

Which veterans have the most to lose heading into training camp? All comments are welcome below. 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.

Player measurements courtesy of Raiders.com.

Player salaries courtesy of overthecap.com.