WR Seth Roberts Makes Strong Case for Roster Spot with Oakland Raiders

Oakland Raiders wide receiver Seth Roberts didn’t enter the NFL as the cream of the crop within the 2014 draft class, but he rose to the occasion during the 2015 preseason.

Roberts isn’t a stranger to delivering on the big stage. He made big, bold statements at his Division II alma mater, West Alabama, in his senior year.

Silver & Black Pride writer Levi Damien provided a statistical snapshot of what Roberts accomplished inside an obscure bubble at West Alabama:

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As a senior, Roberts broke out mainly due to UWA passing the ball more. Having a receiver like him was a big reason why they felt confident making the change. The result was Roberts leading the Tigers with 857 yards receiving on 40 catches with 12 touchdowns.

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He came up big on the biggest stage hauling in a career-high seven catches for 140 yards against Shorter College to help the Tigers take a share of the conference title. That season earned him a spot on the All-Gulf South Conference second team.

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When you watch Roberts extend the play after the catch, it’s not a stroke of luck for the undrafted product. He’s used to stretching the field and racking up yards after the catch, which translates to valuable slot-receiver qualities in the NFL.

All the excitement surrounding wide receiver Amari Cooper takes away from an impressive preseason from Roberts playing with the first- and second-unit offenses.

Hannah Foslien/Getty Images

According to Pro Football Focus, it’s Roberts who has accumulated the most yards per route among Raiders wide receivers through three preseason games.

Competition is Robert's biggest obstacle. Cooper and Michael Crabtree stand atop the depth chart at the position.

Brice Butler is showing the new coaching staff why he deserves more regular-season snaps with his third consecutive impressive preseason campaign. Rod Streater should retain a roster spot as one of the team's top four receivers. Andre Holmes will likely make the cut despite a fractured hand.

For those considering the thought of Holmes getting cut due to his fractured hand, it’s not likely. In fact, CSNCalifornia.com reporter Scott Bair spotted him near the practice field last week:

That’s a good sign to see for a three-to-four-week injury, as described by ESPN’s Adam Schefter: 

ESPN’s Adam Caplan offered praise for Holmes' big-play ability:

Raider Nation’s temperature on Holmes remains lukewarm, but he’s improved his production from 2013 to 2014 and offers quarterback Derek Carr a deep threat. Holmes remaining on the roster likely leaves one wide receiver spot on the depth chart.

Here’s the tale of the tape among the receivers hoping to make the cut:

Player	Snaps	Targets	Receptions	Receiving Yards	Receiving TDs
Kenbrell Thompkins	93	11	4	27	0
Seth Roberts	66	12	8	133	0
Kris Durham	42	6	4	31	1
Josh Harper	24	1	1	7	0

The placement of the pass becomes irrelevant once the ball touches the receiver's hands. He's expected to make the catch. Roberts converted the majority of his targets into completions and extended some receptions into big plays, which is reminiscent of his breakout senior year at West Alabama.

According to ProFootballTalk, the Raiders released veteran receiver Kenbrell Thompkins, who posed the biggest threat to Roberts missing out on Sunday action.

ESPN's Bill Williamson reported Josh Harper's release:

Kris Durham enters his fifth NFL season. He scored a touchdown against the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday night, but his overall body of work doesn’t compare to Roberts’ production. It’s too little, too late for the former fourth-round pick out of Georgia.

The coaching staff must take Roberts’ route to making contributions into account. Similarly to both Streater and Holmes, he’s gained the trust of his coaches to take the field with the first-unit offense in three-receiver sets.

He’s sharing the field with the likes of two first-round picks in Cooper and Crabtree on occasion and still manages to get his name mentioned as a potential playmaker.

After a year on the practice squad, Roberts deserves an opportunity on the big stage with a talented wide receiver group.

He provides another outlet for Carr when attempting to stretch the field as a deep threat or as a playmaker after the catch in the slot. Cuts are never easy, but Roberts clearly deserves a promotion to the active roster.

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