Oakland Raiders Preseason: Week 3 Stock Report
Here’s the final report on a series of findings outlining the ups and downs in the first half of the Oakland Raiders preseason.
We’ve examined the disappointments and the pleasant surprises, and now it’s time for stock reports on five different players.
Many readers have asked about the status of certain players who didn’t appear in the two previous reports.
Some of the following players have played well, but they didn’t register as a surprise, personally. And some players haven’t played well, but only due to a lack of opportunities via play-calling or depth-chart positioning.
A pair of Raider Nation fan favorites made this list, but they’re headed in two very different directions. A pair of offensive linemen also projects contrasting outlooks. A candidate for the primary backup role at running back takes a slight lead over the competition.
In the forthcoming slides, you’ll get an idea of who’s climbing the stock charts and who’s getting lost in the shuffle.
WR Brice Butler: Stock Up
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Wide receiver Brice Butler continues to play well in the preseason. He leads all Raiders receivers in receptions (9) and receiving yards (83), and he's caught one of the team’s two touchdown passes, per Pro Football Focus.
Raider Nation watched this movie before. Butler has stolen the spotlight in the preseason since entering the league. He’s led the team in overall production at the wide receiver position in the last three preseasons, but he fades during the regular season.
Maybe quarterback Derek Carr should look Butler’s way as often as the backups during exhibition.
You can’t take anything away from Butler as he puts together another solid preseason that leaves you pondering why he’s underutilized once the games actually count. Is it the elevated level of competition that shuts him down, or do quarterbacks not look his way?
Whatever the cause, Butler should continue to see passes thrown his direction as Rod Streater works his way back into playing shape. Andre Holmes is expected to miss three to four weeks of action, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter via Twitter.
Butler should get first-team reps in the next two games to measure his abilities against the starters. The Raiders must find out if he’s more than just a second-unit preseason star.
OL Austin Howard: Stock Down
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Do you need an agent to negotiate your business deals? Please call offensive tackle Austin Howard’s agent.
Howard flipped a one-year deal worth a little over $2 million into a five-year, $30 million contract, according to Spotrac, as a mediocre offensive tackle. He holds the fifth-highest cap number on the roster, and he’s slowly losing a position battle to Menelik Watson at right tackle.
The Raiders’ fifth-highest-paid player might sit on the bench for the majority of the 2015 season behind a developing right tackle trying to find his groove.
Howard has allowed two quarterback hurries in two games and failed to impress the coaching staff in a short stint while Watson sat out a few practices with an injury.
J’Marcus Webb continues to play well at right guard, which negates the need for Howard to move back inside.
The Raiders signed two veteran offensive tackles in 2014: Howard and Donald Penn. Ironically, Penn inked a less lucrative deal worth $9.6 million over two years.
Penn becomes a free agent at the end of the season. Howard likely sits behind Watson with $5.7 million owed to him over the next four seasons if he’s released.
RT Menelik Watson: Stock Up
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Watson’s early success at right tackle partially contributes to Howard’s underwhelming play. The former second-round pick hasn’t looked back since taking first-team reps during mandatory minicamp.
According to Oakland Tribune writer Jerry McDonald’s Twitter, a few missed practices brought a “here we go again” train of thought concerning Watson’s injury history hurting his potential. Fortunately, he returned to the starting lineup without an issue.
Watson attributes his early turnaround on the field to a change in lifestyle and his approach to the game in a conversation with CSNBayArea.com reporter Scott Bair:
"I told myself before the season that, no matter what happened, I was going to enjoy myself. I’m so blessed to play this game considering the road I traveled and where I came from. I’m about to get married. My family’s doing great. I’m love my job. I’m going to enjoy it for every single moment of this season.
Things happened really fast, from junior college to Florida State to the NFL. I put a lot of pressure on myself despite that fact. I didn’t want a lack of playing experience as an excuse.
"
The Raiders’ 2013 second-round pick doesn’t play with the weight of expectations on his shoulders anymore. For Watson, it’s just about playing football—an approach that's helped his game thus far.
To all those who labeled him a bust, hold your horses on that conclusion. It’s only the preseason, but the former soccer and basketball player continues to show us his true potential as an offensive lineman.
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FB/H-Back Marcel Reece: Stock Down
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One of Raider Nation’s favorites finds himself in a weird position, both literally and figuratively.
Marcel Reece has one catch for 12 yards and one carry for two yards through two games. What does this say about his future role with the Raiders? Not much.
ESPN’s Adam Caplan reported offensive coordinator Bill Musgrave planned to rid the offense of a fullback. That left us wondering what it means for Reece, who made the Pro Bowl as a fullback for the last three seasons.
Would Musgrave hit delete on a position that featured a Pro Bowl player? In the name of creativity, Reece has become a lost player within the offense.
He projected as an H-back who contributes as a receiver on intermediate routes.
According to San Francisco Chronicle writer Vic Tafur on Twitter, Reece dropped some weight and resembled a sleek running back ready for some extra carries out of the backfield. To this point, Reece hasn’t caught or carried the ball too much.
The inactivity puts Reece in limbo.
The running back stable likely features three capable ball-carriers. The tight end position features a high draft pick in Clive Walford, receiving tight end Mychal Rivera and blocking tight end Lee Smith. Where does Reece get his touches between these two positions?
It’s difficult to see how the three-time Pro Bowl fullback fits into Musgrave’s fullback-less offense.
RB Michael Dyer: Stock Up
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Running back Michael Dyer resurfaces as the lead candidate for the primary backup role at running back after a poor preseason-opening performance against the St. Louis Rams.
Dyer leads the backfield in carries, which marks the most telling statistic of all. The coaching staff doesn’t see Taiwan Jones as anything more than a burst of energy capable of burning the defense on select plays. He has five carries in two games.
Trent Richardson isn’t doing himself any favors in warding off jokes about his paltry career yards-per-carry average. His 2.3 yards-per-carry average for the preseason ranks as the lowest of all Raiders’ running backs.
Dyer takes more carries and produces at a higher, though not overly impressive, rate in comparison to Richardson.
There’s one preseason game left to play before all NFL teams must cut their rosters down to 75 players on September 1. Dyer’s increase in volume should keep him off the cut list and in the conversation as the No. 2 running back behind Latavius Murray.
Follow Maurice Moton on Twitter for Raiders news and updates.
All statistics are provided by Pro-Football-Reference.com and Pro Football Focus unless otherwise noted.
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