Oakland Raiders head coach Jack Del Rio has been purposely tight-lipped about disclosing his standouts during OTAs, but there are some insightful tidbits about developing project players in Alameda.
Wide receiver Amari Cooper and tight end Clive Walford have defined roles and early expectations at their prospective positions. What about draftees and fringe players who are transitioning or considered low-risk, high-reward pickups? Have their roles been defined? Do they have a legitimate shot to make the final 53-man roster?
We’ll answer some of those poignant questions about five players who are in undefined roles or seeking to solidify a roster spot as developmental ...
The Oakland Raiders selected Amari Cooper with the fourth overall pick in the 2015 NFL draft.
How will Cooper perform in his rookie year? What kind of numbers will he put up?
Watch as Adam Lefkoe and Bleacher Report NFL Analyst Chris Simms discuss expectations for Cooper in the video above.Read more Oakland Raiders news on BleacherReport.com
The Oakland A's record is disappointing two months in, so naturally, there's already chatter about the team trading stars.
Stephen Vogt and Josh Reddick are in the top 20 in weighted runs created plus (wRC+). Sonny Gray, Jesse Chavez and Scott Kazmir—the first two of which are in the top 11 in fielding independent pitching (FIP)—have pitched incredibly well and could certainly help any rotation.
Ben Zobrist is a consistent hitter who can play outfield and infield positions.
Teams in need of relievers could even inquire about Tyler Clippard or Evan Scribner, two of the team's better relievers this season. If brave enough ...
How good can this new Oakland Raiders offense really be in 2015?
Despite what last season's 3-13 record might indicate, Oakland's defense actually showed a lot of potential. Now, with another offseason's worth of reinforcements, the defense looks capable of being able to keep up with any NFL offense on a weekly basis.
The success of the defense as a whole depends largely on the big names like Khalil Mack, Justin Tuck and Charles Woodson. But it's just as dependent on X-factors at each position group.
How these other players perform will be the difference between the defense being a direct factor in more ...
The Oakland Raiders' history has branded the franchise as a rebellious, mercurial bunch standing out as an outcast from the rest of the NFL.
That trend continued when the Raiders were one of two teams that voted against the point-after-attempt proposal in the offseason per USA Today's Lindsay Jones:
Rule Changes
What exactly did Oakland vote against and why?
NFL.com writer Kevin Patra sums up the crux of the new changes:
The NFL announced the extra point will now be kicked from the 15-yard line with two-point conversions remaining at the 2-yard line. The new rule also gives the defense the ability to score two ...
It's been an annual conversation for years. But this time, there's some real substance to the notion that the Oakland Raiders might have finally turned the corner back to success.
Each position group on the roster is improved. But each position group also has a question mark, a key role that needs to be filled.
While they might not be the biggest names, each of these players will have an important job to do this upcoming season. And how well they perform will have a major impact not only on that position group, but on the team as a whole.
The Raiders will ...