Oakland Raiders: Breaking Down Final Roster and Week 1 Starters
The Oakland Raiders revealed their final cuts to meet the 53-man roster deadline, which presented some question marks on both sides of the ball.
The Raiders won’t reveal the official depth chart for Week 1 of the season until September 8, leaving room for speculation on where the remaining players rank at their positions.
The team made some intriguing decisions specifically at tight end and cornerback. Furthermore, T.J. Carrie remains as the only player on the roster to record a punt return during the preseason.
The overhaul at some positions and the lack of depth at other positions raises the possibility of waiver-wire pickups prior to the opening kickoff on September 13.
Prior to those potential changes, here’s a realistic look at the depth chart with the 53 players who made the cut Saturday.
Quarterbacks
1 of 10
| Position | Starter | No. 2 |
| Quarterback | Derek Carr | Matt McGloin |
Christian Ponder’s subpar performance earned him a one-way ticket out of Oakland.
Derek Carr remains the starting quarterback with a fiery Matt McGloin as the primary backup. McGloin definitely earned the No. 2 spot after his impressive preseason performance, but Oakland took things a step further by releasing Ponder.
The Raiders feel confident in Carr making strides in his second year under center, but he must clear up some deficiencies in the pocket. The willingness to spread out a defense separates Carr and McGloin.
Carr cannot reserve parking in checkdown city with an explosive wide receiving corps at his disposal. However, it’s a new year with a new offensive system for the second-round pick out of Fresno State. He deserves some time to develop.
McGloin’s fearless attitude on the field makes people wonder how he’d perform with the first-team offense.
At this point, McGloin supporters can keep dreaming. Unless Carr starts the season completely flat, he’s in the driver’s seat.
Running Backs
2 of 10
| Position | Starter | No. 2 | No. 3 |
| Running Back | Latavius Murray | Roy Helu Jr. | Taiwan Jones |
The battle for No. 2 running back pit Trent Richardson against Michael Dyer as the prime candidates for the position during the preseason. Neither player made it to the final roster.
Roy Helu missed nearly three weeks of training camp and half the preseason. He accumulated eight yards on 11 carries and caught two passes for 14 yards in two games but still managed to claim the primary backup role.
That’s not a good sign for the depth behind Latavius Murray.
Helu missed significant time playing within offensive coordinator Bill Musgrave’s offense and needs time to acclimate himself in the backfield. Taiwan Jones could provide an early spark in the meantime.
Murray revitalizes the term bell cow for the running back situation in Oakland. He must shoulder the load at the very beginning with low expectations on the players behind him for at least the first quarter of the season.
Injuries delayed Murray’s ascension to the starting position. Now that he’s attained the lead role, there’s a lot riding on his shoulders. The Raiders need a healthy Murray to balance an offensive attack that’s not as explosive as the talent would suggest at the moment.
Wide Receivers
3 of 10
| Position | Starters | Reserves | Reserves |
| Wide Receiver No. 1 | Amari Cooper | Seth Roberts | Rod Streater |
| Wide Receiver No. 2 | Michael Crabtree | Brice Butler | Andre Holmes |
The wide receiving corps gets a full makeover over the course of one offseason. Last year, Andre Holmes led the team in receiving yards (693). His 6’5” stature allows him to pluck jump balls out of thin air, but he’s a niche wideout behind five players with well-rounded receiving talents.
Amari Cooper (rookie) and Michael Crabtree (seventh-year) lead the wideouts as the young, dynamic, savvy veteran pair for Carr.
Rod Streater, Brice Butler and Seth Roberts pose as an interchangeable trio to take snaps in three-receiver sets. All three receivers possess the ability to rack up yards after the catch as well as deep-threat capability.
There’s absolutely no reason to play conservatively with this crew of receivers unless Carr struggles with cycling through his reads in the pocket. This shapes up to become the most talented group of receivers wearing silver and black in recent memory.
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Tight Ends/H-Backs
4 of 10
| Position | Starter | No. 2 | No. 3 | No. 4 |
| Tight End | Mychal Rivera | Clive Walford | Lee Smith | Gabe Holmes |
| H-Back | Marcel Reece | Jamize Olawale |
Clive Walford’s extended absence in the preseason hurt his chances of starting Week 1 of the season. The decision to keep four tight ends could indicate a slower return to form on the field than expected.
Undrafted tight end Gabe Holmes didn’t jump off the page with preseason stats, but he showed efficiency. Holmes completed all four passes thrown his way and exhibited decent blocking skills in 109 snaps, per Pro Football Focus.
Walford’s absence allowed the coaching staff to eye Holmes extensively. He received the most snaps of any tight end on the Raiders roster in the preseason.
In a confident tweet, Walford said, “No worries I’ll be ready.”
The question isn’t if he’s ready to play, but how much can he contribute after missing so much time.
Mychal Rivera likely starts at tight end with Lee Smith as the blocking counterpart at the position. Why keep Holmes if Walford brings a combination of receiving and blocking?
Four tight ends seems like an unnecessary overhaul, and it’s a reason to keep an eye on Walford’s progress upon his return.
Offensive Line
5 of 10
| Position | Starter | Reserves |
| Left Tackle | Donald Penn | Matt McCants |
| Left Guard | Gabe Jackson | Jon Feliciano |
| Center | Rodney Hudson | Tony Bergstrom |
| Right Guard | J'Marcus Webb | Khalif Barnes |
| Right Tackle | Austin Howard |
Menelik Watson’s season-ending Achilles injury hurts the continuity of the offensive line fostered by offensive line coach Mike Tice during the offseason.
Despite his veteran status, Austin Howard steps into some big cleats to fill at right tackle based on how well Watson played through two exhibition games.
According to Pro Football Focus analytics, he struggled in run blocking, notching a minus-2.9 grade. His track record dating back to his tenure with the New York Jets suggests his run blocking should gradually improve, although his pass blocking may take a hit.
Tony Bergstrom made another 53-man roster despite an abysmal preseason performance. General manager Reggie McKenzie refuses to let go of his very first draft pick. This inexplicable roster save takes away a spot from another player who deserves it.
Lamar Mady played well as a backup center in very limited action but didn't make it through the first round of cuts.
According to Pro Football Focus, Bergstrom graded a minus-10 as the worst among all centers in the preseason but somehow made the cut. He's the only player remaining from McKenzie's 2012 draft class.
Matt McCants struggled in the preseason finale, but he retains his reserve tackle position.
Oakland’s offensive line avoids imminent doom in case of an injury to a starting lineman with veteran Khalif Barnes and Jon Feliciano serving as the reserves.
Defensive Line
6 of 10
| Position | Starters | Reserves |
| Left Defensive End | Justin Tuck | Mario Edwards |
| Left Defensive Tackle | Justin Ellis | |
| Right Defensive Tackle | Dan Williams | Stacy McGee |
| Right Defensive End | Khalil Mack | Denico Autry |
According to the Raiders official roster, Khalil Mack lists as a linebacker. Pro Football Focus classifies him as a 3-4 outside linebacker.
Upon reviewing the preseason film, the Raiders frequently attacked with a four-man rush bookended by two edge-rushers, Mario Edwards Jr. and Mack in the starting unit sans Justin Tuck.
In those cases, Malcolm Smith and Curtis Lofton served as the only two linebackers behind the four-man front, which exhibits a 4-2-5 alignment among defensive lineman, linebackers and defensive backs.
Regardless of Norton's schematic design, Mack will find ways to terrorize quarterbacks week after week as a pass-rusher.
At the age of 32, Tuck still plays well against both run and pass attacks, evident in his PFF grade in 2014 as the team’s best defensive lineman. Tuck enters the final year of his contract, and his output should determine whether he stays or leaves in the offseason.
Edwards answered some critics concerning his pass-rushing skills in the preseason. His versatility and tenacious efforts to provide pressure on the quarterback makes him a key component in the dominance up front.
As the eventual replacement for Tuck, Edwards must show he can stay on the field for all three downs.
Dan Williams and Justin Ellis played sparingly in the preseason but likely start in 4-3 or 4-2-5 alignments. Stacy McGee remains as the only reserve defensive tackle on the depth chart.
Norton's use of modified formations during the preseason allowed bigger athletic defensive lineman like Edwards and Denico Autry to pressure quarterbacks from various positions with stunt moves. Adding Autry to the active roster gives an extra push to the defensive line.
Linebackers
7 of 10
| Position | Starters | Reserves | Special Teams |
| Strong-Side Linebacker | Benson Mayowa | Neiron Ball | Lorenzo Alexander |
| Inside Linebacker | Curtis Lofton | Ben Heeney | |
| Weak-Side Linebacker | Malcolm Smith | Ray-Ray Armstrong |
Raiders Twitter buzzed all night with news about the Sio Moore trade to the Indianapolis Colts for a sixth-round pick as reported by NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.
The coaching staff dropped some subtle and blatant clues alluding to Moore’s imminent departure.
He didn’t play a defensive snap until the fourth quarter of the last preseason game despite coming off the physically unable to perform list August 1, per ESPN's Bill Williamson.
Ray-Ray Armstrong struggled at the strong-side linebacker position for three games, yielding his spot to Benson Mayowa against the Seattle Seahawks in Week 4.
Norton told CSNBayArea.com reporter Scott Bair about Mayowa’s reassignment to the strong-side linebacker position in addition to his duties as a defensive end.
Moore never found a place with this coaching staff, and it remains a mystery as to why his opportunities evaporated so quickly.
As a result of Armstrong’s struggles, Mayowa likely takes over as the starting strong-side linebacker as he did against the Seahawks.
Rookie Neiron Ball could also see time at the position pending his ability to take on lead blocks against the rushing attack.
Lofton will start the season as the quarterback of the defense with Ben Heeney as his backup. Raider Nation relishes in the Heeney hype suggesting that he start at the strong-side linebacker position, but just like Armstrong, he struggles in pass coverage.
Heeney surrendered nine catches out of 11 targets for 104 yards and a touchdown as an inside linebacker. Transitioning Heeney to outside linebacker where he’s responsible for covering athletic tight ends and quick-twitch running backs spells disaster.
The rookie out of Kansas plays his best game attacking downhill against the run and in zone blitzes harassing quarterbacks.
Lorenzo Alexander signed with the team on August 2, and he finds his place in special teams coverage. Alexander earned NFC special teams Pro Bowl honors while playing for the Washington Redskins in 2012.
Defensive Backs
8 of 10
| Position | Starters | Reserves | Reserves |
| Left Cornerback | Travis Carrie | Keith McGill | Dexter McDonald |
| Free Safety | Charles Woodson | Keenan Lambert | |
| Strong Safety | Nate Allen | Larry Asante | |
| Right Cornerback | D.J. Hayden | Neiko Thorpe | Chimdi Chekwa |
As expected, Charles Woodson played enough snaps (33) to keep his joints loose in preparation for starting the season at safety.
Nate Allen played an exceptional game against the Arizona Cardinals in Week 3, grabbing two interceptions. Allen and Woodson must pick up the slack for a mediocre group of cornerbacks.
The Raiders placed Brandian Ross on injured reserve and claimed Keenan Lambert, brother of Seahawks safety Kam Chancellor, off waivers. Lambert joins Larry Asante as reserve safeties in the secondary.
As mentioned in the introduction, Carrie remains as the only player on the roster to return a punt. He’s also the best cornerback on the depth chart. Both D.J. Hayden and Keith McGill showed flashes of incompetence at the position.
The pecking order at cornerback remains at status quo because neither player claimed the No. 2 cornerback position outright. The uninspiring competition revealed why McKenzie made a grave mistake in not signing a veteran like Tramon Williams in the offseason.
As a former safety in college, McGill lacks the fluidity and footwork to consistently defend quick-twitch receivers step for step.
At times, Hayden lacks the wherewithal to locate the ball in coverage. He’s also liable to get pushed around by bigger, more physically imposing receivers.
The Raiders obviously retracted on overall confidence in their lead trio of young cornerbacks as they kept three additional (six total) on the roster.
Neiko Thorpe may take snaps as the No. 2 cornerback at some point this season. Like Carrie, Thorpe didn’t surrender a touchdown in the preseason. Outside of allowing a 39-yard catch against the Cardinals, he played well in coverage all over the field.
Special Teams
9 of 10
| Position | Starters |
| Kick Returner | Taiwan Jones |
| Punt Returner | T.J. Carrie |
| Kicker | Sebastian Janikowski |
| Punter | Marquette King |
| Long Snapper | Jon Condo |
| Holder | Marquette King |
As it stands, Carrie will return punts on special teams, but that likely won’t stick for the entire season.
He’s too valuable for the secondary to risk on punt returns with 10 defenders running at him in full speed. That’s not a good position for the best perimeter defender on the roster.
Taiwan Jones should take over on kickoff returns, in addition to some plays as a running back. Jones returned a decent kickoff for 27 yards against the St. Louis Rams in Week 1.
No surprises with kicker Sebastian Janikowski and punter Marquette King retaining their starting positions.
Follow Maurice Moton on Twitter for Raiders news and updates.
All statistics are provided by ESPN.com and Pro Football Focus unless otherwise noted.
Raiders roster cuts and transactions provided by Raiders.com.
Preseason game statistics provided by NFL.com.
Full Depth Chart
10 of 10
| Offense | ||||
| Positions | Starters | Reserves | Reserves | |
| Quarterbacks | Derek Carr | Matt McGloin | ||
| Running Backs | Latavius Murray | Roy Helu Jr. | Taiwan Jones | |
| H-Back | Marcel Reece | Jamize Olawale | ||
| Wide Receiver No. 1 | Amari Cooper | Seth Roberts | Rod Streater | |
| Wide Receiver No. 2 | Michael Crabtree | Brice Butler | Andre Holmes | |
| Tight Ends | Mychal Rivera | Clive Walford | Lee Smith | Gabe Holmes |
| Left Tackle | Donald Penn | Matt McCants | ||
| Left Guard | Gabe Jackson | Jon Feliciano | ||
| Center | Rodney Hudson | Tony Bergstrom | ||
| Right Guard | J'Marcus Webb | Khalif Barnes | ||
| Right Tackle | Austin Howard | |||
| Defense | |||
| Positions | Starters | Reserves | Reserves |
| Left Defensive End | Justin Tuck | Mario Edwards Jr. | |
| Left Defensive Tackle | Justin Ellis | ||
| Right Defensive Tackle | Dan Williams | Stacy McGee | |
| Right Defensive End | Khalil Mack | Denico Autry | |
| Weak-side Linebacker | Malcolm Smith | Ray-Ray Armstrong | Lorenzo Alexander |
| Inside Linebacker | Curtis Lofton | Ben Heeney | |
| Strong-side Linebacker | Benson Mayowa | Neiron Ball | |
| Left Cornerback | Travis Carrie | Keith McGill | Dexter McDonald |
| Free Safety | Charles Woodson | Keenan Lambert | |
| Strong Safety | Nate Allen | Larry Asante | |
| Right Cornerback | D.J. Hayden | Neiko Thorpe | Chimdi Chekwa |
| Special Teams | |
| Positions | Starters |
| Kick Returner | Taiwan Jones |
| Punt Returner | Waiver-Wire Pickup |
| Long Snapper | Jon Condo |
| Holder | Marquette King |
| Punter | Marquette King |
| Kicker | Sebastian Janikowski |
Follow Maurice Moton on Twitter for Raiders news and updates.
All statistics are provided by ESPN.com and Pro Football Focus unless otherwise noted.
Raiders roster cuts and transactions provided by Raiders.com.
Preseason game statistics provided by NFL.com.
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