Oakland Raiders' Biggest Preseason Disappointments so Far

We’re a few months away from the holiday season, but two preseason games revealed some gems and some lumps of coal on the Oakland Raiders roster.

The team has shown major improvement from top to bottom, but that comes with some disappointments along the way.

A handful of players with high expectations left an empty feeling in the stomachs of Raiders fans due to poor performances and injuries.

An integral part of building a championship team involves holding players accountable and availability. 

The commitment to excellence only bears part of the deal. Execution leading to production yields the results. Through two games, five particular players haven't flashed as initially expected.

CB, D.J. Hayden

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No. 25 D.J. Hayden in pass coverage

Cornerback D.J. Hayden’s horrible night against the Minnesota Vikings could become a learning experience or the tip of an iceberg the Raiders don’t want to see at a shaky position.

Yes, quarterback Teddy Bridgewater threw pinpoint passes to wide receiver Charles Johnson, but what would you expect from a good quarterback?

If the Raiders want to battle with the Denver Broncos, Indianapolis Colts and New England Patriots for AFC supremacy, their cornerbacks must learn to defend against accurate quarterbacks.

This feels like Hayden’s year to quiet the doubters, but the volume of chirping from his skeptics just got louder.

Sure, he escaped the St. Louis Rams game without surrendering a catch.

Why?

Rams quarterback Nick Foles didn’t throw at Hayden during the contest, per Pro Football Focus.

Bridgewater targeted Hayden on five out of 14 throws and completed three. The former first-round cornerback didn’t have an answer for an accurate arm or an inexperienced but athletic 6’2”, 215-pound wide receiver on the outside.

It’s unfair to say cornerback Keith McGill (6’3”, 211 lbs) would have done a better job, but it’s fair to say Hayden didn’t do enough.

RB, Trent Richardson

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No. 33 Trent Richardson evading Rams defenders

Running back Trent Richardson came to Oakland with his career on the line, but he’s not playing as if that’s the case.

Richardson recorded the lowest yards-per-carry average (2.3) through two preseason games among the five active running backs in Oakland's backfield. 

The former No. 3 overall pick committed to slimming down to a physique similar to his Alabama days, dropping into the 220s at head coach Jack Del Rio's request. But it didn’t help him regain his ability to make quick cuts and drag defenders an extra couple of yards.

Those Alabama glory days are over, and Richardson’s career could follow. You never want to see someone lose a place in their profession, but the Raiders don’t need Richardson in their backfield.

Running backs Michael Dyer and Taiwan Jones have outperformed Richardson thus far. Dyer is an undrafted free agent with upside. Jones shows uncanny explosiveness after transitioning from the cornerback position and recovering from a significant foot injury.

Don’t forget Roy Helu, whom the Raiders signed as a potential third-down back and receiver out of the backfield.

Richardson doesn’t fit within the Raiders running back stable and likely looks for work elsewhere starting in September.

RB, Roy Helu Jr.

Eric Risberg/Associated Press

No. 26 Roy Helu Jr.

Helu's presence in the backfield becomes a distant memory. The four-year running back has missed practices dating back to August 3. Scout.com writer Chris McClain made the observation via Twitter.

Strangely, there’s barely any speculation on the extent of his injury. He’s become the real-life version of Where’s Waldo after missing every training camp practice for the past three weeks and two preseason games.

The disappointment is solely based on his inability to get on the field and show his knack for exploiting soft coverages in the flat.

The Raiders sorely missed Helu on third downs against the Vikings. In the postgame press conference, Del Rio pointed out how poorly the Raiders executed on that critical down all night long.

Del Rio continues to label his injured players as day-to-day, but it’s disappointing not to see what Helu brings to the table in critical game situations. He must get on the field and put the playbook study into practice for optimal execution. Hopefully, he returns sooner than later.

TE, Clive Walford

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No. 88 Clive Walford at practice

There’s very little pressure on rookie tight end Clive Walford, but just like Helu, his absence leads to a slight disappointment.

It’s unfortunate and seemingly out of his power that an ongoing injury continues to keep him on the sidelines. He caught two passes in the preseason opener, but didn’t play in the Vikings game.

Walford garnered a lot of attention during organized team activities and minicamp, which built expectations for his role within the offense.

Early reports out of OTAs and minicamp projected the former Miami tight end to flash as an impressive player in the offense, but we only saw a very small glimpse thus far.

WR, Josh Harper

Eric Risberg/Associated Press

No. 19 Josh Harper

The connection between wide receiver Josh Harper and quarterback Derek Carr filled headlines across the web and led many to believe Harper would make the active roster.

The fact that Carr works with the first-team offense and Harper takes the field with the third-team offense dissolves any fantasy of seeing a Carr-Harper connection solidify itself in the preseason.

In two games, Harper caught one pass for seven yards. He resembles a practice squad player as he falls behind wide receivers Brice Butler, Seth Roberts and Kenbrell Thompkins on the depth chart.

Carr could help Harper get acquainted with the playbook, but he's not helping his former teammate get on the field in the upcoming season. That Fresno State connection gets put on hold until 2016. 

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

In-game play-by-play is provided by NFL.com.