Breaking Down Oakland Raiders' Strangest Roster Mysteries

In some cases, the Oakland Raiders’ head-scratching personnel decisions should leave you asking, "Why?"

Fanbases often place blind trust in front office and coaching moves, but a few transactions and lineup choices don’t make sense from an outside perspective.

What are the Raiders' most questionable moves that should cause you to question the guys who supposedly know what they’re doing?

Rod Streater’s Inactivity

In 2013, wide receiver Rod Streater led this team in receptions (60) and receiving yards (888). In 2014, a foot injury sidelined Streater for 13 games, and he’s struggled to remain a key component of the offense since his shortened season.

Streater battled an illness in the offseason, but the reasons for his regular-season inactivity extend beyond his control.

Head coach Jack Del Rio broke his silence on Streater's situation and revealed why the wideout remains inactive, per CSNBayArea.com reporter Scott Bair:

"

We have a good group that’s played well all year and remained healthy. I admire [Sreater] and I’ve told him this several times. It’s not easy to do what he’s doing, but I really appreciate it and respect it. He’s given us everything he has every day. He continues to work on his craft. As long as those guys are staying healthy right now, it’s tough to get him up (and active for games).

"

Del Rio says the four active wideouts have played well all year. That’s not exactly the case.

Week	Targets	Receptions	Yards	Touchdowns
1	0	0	0	0
2	4	3	50	0
3	1	1	3	1
4	1	0	0	0
5	1	0	0	0
BYE	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
7	1	0	0	0
8	3	2	54	2
9	2	0	0	0
10	2	1	34	1
11	1	0	0	0

Andre Holmes either scores a touchdown or disappears completely at random. He’s recorded a touchdown in three games but failed to catch a pass in six contests. Holmes leaves the field empty-handed more times than not.

Holmes grades out as a below-average blocking wide receiver with a minus-1.2 rating. Quarterback Derek Carr barely looks his way when cycling through progressions, targeting him more than twice in only two games.

Obviously, he’s not a big part of the offensive game plan or hasn’t shown the ability to impact the passing attack on a consistent level.

In his first active year on the roster, Seth Roberts has shown inconsistencies, but he’s the best blocking wide receiver in the league, which helps Amari Cooper extend plays on bubble screens and short receptions.

It’s difficult to classify Holmes as a productive receiver with only one solid game on his 2015 resume. He scored multiple touchdowns against the New York Jets in Week 8 but went three consecutive games without a catch prior to that breakout performance.

For those who feel Streater should be unleashed, it's not going to happen without a cost. Based on Del Rio’s statements, he'll remain inactive unless an injury sidelines one of the active wideouts.

Short Leash for Roy Helu?

When the Raiders signed free-agent running back Roy Helu to a two-year deal worth $4.1 million in the offseason, NFL.com's Mark Harmon suggested that he could compete with Latavius Murray for touches.

Helu has appeared in six games but only seen action in four contests, and the Raiders have struggled with production behind their starting running back.

Player	Attempts	Yards	Touchdowns
Latavius Murray	157	706	4
Jamize Olawale	20	77	1
Derek Carr	16	53	0
Taiwan Jones	14	70	0
Roy Helu	12	31	0
Marcel Reece	7	30	0

Murray has put together a decent season. Nonetheless, the team fields the No. 23-ranked rushing offense in the league, averaging fewer than 100 rushing yards per game. Helu should hold an opportunity to fill the void in the ground attack as the backup ball-carrier.

Oakland desperately needs a running back to stretch plays toward the outside on the ground or through short passes in the flat.

The coaching staff continues to work fullback Jamize Olawale into that role, but what’s the justifiable reason for neglecting Helu’s talent?

When active, he hasn't handled more than five carries in a single game and has only seen more than two targets as receiver in one game. It's a complete waste of $2.1 million in Helu's first year under contract.

No Opportunities for Punt Returners

Watching cornerback T.J. Carrie and Cooper return punts should make all Raiders fans cringe, but the coaching staff refuses to utilize a specialist in this area.

Oakland has signed and then shelved its kick-return specialists, which defeats all rationale.

Player	Sign Date	Release Date	Punts Returned	Fair Catches
Marcus Thigpen	November 4	November 14	1	2
Walter Powell	October 17	November 3	0	0
Devon Wylie	August 18	September 5	0	0
Trindon Holliday	June 3	September 1	1	1
Austin Willis	May 11	August 18	0	1

Aside from Carrie and Cooper, only two players have fielded one punt since preseason. Trindon Holliday returned a punt in the first exhibition game, and Marcus Thigpen advanced a punt in Week 9. Austin Willis called for one fair catch on a punt during the preseason.

The Raiders haven’t allowed free agents to earn the punt return job with adequate opportunities. In the most recent case, the coaching staff left proven kick return specialist Walt Powell on the inactive list before his untimely release.

Practice field regimen factors into playing time on Sundays, but it’s inexcusable when only two players have returned more than two punts dating back to the preseason.

For the Raiders’ young roster, it’s important to keep Cooper and Carrie healthy. One player jumpstarts the offense. The other defends the best wide receiver on the opposing team.

Oakland must take a serious approach in finding a punt returner or risk taking a critical blow on either side of the ball. Assigning double duty to either exceptional talent is an unnecessary decision to play with fire.

Follow Maurice Moton on Twitter for news, updates and intriguing discussion about the Oakland Raiders.

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