Sarge+ 3,436 Posted July 31, 2015 (edited) The Oakland Raiders know who they expect to pace the team in production heading into the 2015 campaign.Quarterback Derek Carr, running back Latavius Murray, wide receiver Amari Cooper and the offensive line will be expected to lead the offense, while linebacker Khalil Mack, defensive endJustin Tuck and a young secondary will be asked to keep opposing teams out of the end zone. However, each season, unexpected players burst onto the scene and help the team win games – just look at Murray in 2014. With that said, here are five players flying under the radar as the team enters training camp that could end up producing for the Silver and Black this season. Running Back Roy Helu, Jr. Helu, Jr. was one of the first free agents that General Manager Reggie McKenzie signed this offseason, but since his signing, much hasn’t been said of the veteran running back. The battle between Latavius Murray andTrent Richardson has received top billing, but don’t be surprised if you see Helu, Jr., play a key role in the Raiders offense in 2015. During his career with the Redskins, Helu, Jr., showed that he is a versatile playmaker who can be utilized both on the ground and also a receiving threat. For his career, he has 129 receptions for 1,152 yards and three touchdowns. Tight End Gabe Holmes Holmes signed with the Raiders as an undrafted free agent in May after wrapping up his collegiate career at Purdue. During his career as a Boilermaker, Holmes made 63 receptions, for 552 yards and five touchdowns. Standing at 6’5” and weighing in at 254 pounds, Holmes boasts prototypical size and will be an interesting player to keep an eye on with a revamped tight end group in 2015. Tackle Anthony Morris Morris is an intriguing prospect on the Raiders offensive line. Selected in the seventh round (No. 218 overall) in the 2015 NFL Draft out of Tennessee State, Morris is a mountain of a man. Standing at 6’6” and tipping the scales at nearly 300 pounds, it will be interesting to see if Morris is thrown into the fire or if the coaching staff elects to use 2015 as a developmental season for the young offensive lineman. With the right side of the line open for competition this training camp, who’s to say Morris couldn’t find himself earning snaps sooner than later? Wide Receiver Seth Roberts The former West Alabama Tiger enters his second season in the Raiders program after spending 2014 on the practice squad. Roberts has shown he has good hands, and the extra weight he has put on this offseason should help him battle opposing cornerbacks in 2015. Yes, the wide receiver group is much deeper than years past with the additions of Amari Cooper andMichael Crabtree, as well as the return of Rod Streater, but keep an eye on Roberts during training camp. He may have played college football at a small school and relegated to the practice squad last season, but don’t sleep on Seth Roberts. Wide Receiver Austin Willis Another small school player, wide receiver Austin Willis played collegiately at Emporia State in Emporia, Kan., before signing with the Raiders as an undrafted free agent. Willis earned a bevy of awards during his time as a Hornet, including earning second-team All-MIAA honors as well as being named to the USA College Football Preseason All-America watch list. Similarly to Roberts, Willis finds himself with an uphill battle this season, but once the pads come on at training camp, it’s a whole new ballgame. http://www.raiders.com/news/article-1/Five-Oakland-Raiders-Flying-Under-The-Radar-In-2015/82765c7f-1e28-4ec3-a7cf-3c3ababf91a8 Edited July 31, 2015 by Sarge Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Sarge+ 3,436 Posted July 31, 2015 Edited. I don't know why it pasted that way. But to be fair, I did provide the link so you could read it on your own. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SteVo+ 3,702 Posted July 31, 2015 I don't know, I think it's too soon to jump on the bandwagon. Amari Cooper and Khalil Mack are legitimate cornerstones on both sides of the ball (yes, I'm buying the Cooper hype), and I actually like Jack Del Rio as a coach more than most. But the jury is still very much out on Derek Carr, and the rest of the roster is bad. It says an awful lot about the quality of football players you have when, in free agency, you throw money at Rodney Hudson () and Nate Allen () Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Favre4Ever+ 4,476 Posted July 31, 2015 WRs are never cornerstones.Every time I've liked what the Raiders have done in the past, they always find a way to mess it up and look horrible. So, this time, I am going to just sit back, relax, and wait one minute until the Raiders move to L A. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Sarge+ 3,436 Posted July 31, 2015 Raiders moving to LA? I know just the guy for the job! 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
FartWaffles 1,857 Posted July 31, 2015 WRs are never cornerstones. Which is why even though I think Amari Cooper will be a really good receiver at the NFL level, I still think the Raiders were very stupid to draft him over Leonard Williams. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SteVo+ 3,702 Posted July 31, 2015 You guys don't think guys like Calvin Johnson, Odell Beckham, and Dez Bryant are cornerstones? I will concede that they aren't by themselves; they need help. You need a good QB (and probably a good O-line) to do it, but within a competent offense in the pass-happy NFL of 2015, I absolutely consider guys like the ones I listed to be cornerstones, and I see that kind of potential for Cooper. Now, the potential for the roster around him? Eh... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
seanbrock 1,684 Posted August 1, 2015 I'm with Stevo. It's true that receiver is generally the most easily replaced position in football, but there are special players at any position that can become a franchise cornerstone and yet any player no matter how great will never carry his team to a Super Bowl trophy or even a play off birth. I'm a firm believer that it's best to build through the trenches but I'm also a firm believer that if in the scouting process you see that a player has special talent that you don't pass on that player. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Favre4Ever+ 4,476 Posted August 1, 2015 No, I think it's literally impossible for a WR to be a "Cornerstone". You don't draft a WR and build around him. And if you do, you're doing it wrong. No team or offense in the league is powered through their WR. Even one as great as Megatron... Where exactly has Calvin carried the Lions so far? Has Julio done any of that? What about Dez? DT? They are all great WRs. Supremely talented and gifted. Arguably the best at what they do. But cornerstones? Can't go that far. Yes, I realize this is a team sport and any one player at any one position can only have so much impact or carry so much weight. But you said it yourself... WRs are quite possibly the most easily replaced position on the field at any given moment. 3 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
seanbrock 1,684 Posted August 1, 2015 (edited) No, I think it's literally impossible for a WR to be a "Cornerstone". You don't draft a WR and build around him. And if you do, you're doing it wrong. No team or offense in the league is powered through their WR. Even one as great as Megatron... Where exactly has Calvin carried the Lions so far? Has Julio done any of that? What about Dez? DT? They are all great WRs. Supremely talented and gifted. Arguably the best at what they do. But cornerstones? Can't go that far. Yes, I realize this is a team sport and any one player at any one position can only have so much impact or carry so much weight. But you said it yourself... WRs are quite possibly the most easily replaced position on the field at any given moment. What about JJ Watt? He's already a hall of famer. One of the best players the league has ever seen. His team really hasn't done much since he was drafted. Is he not a cornerstone? Dan Marino is one of the greatest QB's of all time and without a good supporting cast he never won a Super Bowl. Calvin Johnson was drafted to literally the worst team in the history of the league. He's pretty much been the only reason why people fear that offense from Day 1. He's not a corner stone? No one single player can put you over the top. As great as Julio Jones is, he can only do so much when his team boasts one of the worst defenses in the league. Take Julio out of the equation for any 1 player in the league and would they make that team a playoff team or a division winner? I don't think so. Look At AJ Green. Where are the Bengals without AJ Green? Picking in the top 10 that's where. Is he not a cornerstone? Randy Moss in his prime made Gus Frerotte look like a legitimate QB lol. He wasn't a cornerstone though. Special talent is special talent. Look at Devin Hester. He was a return man, but at his best he was a cornerstone for the Bears. He couldn't play corner or WR, but as a return man he's flat out the best we've ever seen and he was absolutely one of the biggest reasons Chicago was able to make it to a Super Bowl with Rex Grossman at QB. The ensured that the Bears at the very least had good field position on every drive and could take it to the house anytime a team was dumb enough to kick to him Edited August 1, 2015 by seanbrock 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
CampinWithaMissingPerson 2,025 Posted August 2, 2015 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ATL_Predator+ 1,196 Posted August 2, 2015 (edited) Raiders already have 'cornerstones' with Carr and Mack. Leo would've been nice, but don't act like you can't build around either of those two players. Edited August 2, 2015 by DarthRaider Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
BJORN 679 Posted August 3, 2015 Raiders already have 'cornerstones' with Carr and Mack. Leo would've been nice, but don't act like you can't build around either of those two players. Carr wasn't even that good last season, very early to name him a cornerstone. Of course, you hope he'll become one. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
oochymp 2,393 Posted August 3, 2015 Special talent is special talent. Look at Devin Hester. He was a return man, but at his best he was a cornerstone for the Bears. He couldn't play corner or WR, but as a return man he's flat out the best we've ever seen and he was absolutely one of the biggest reasons Chicago was able to make it to a Super Bowl with Rex Grossman at QB. The ensured that the Bears at the very least had good field position on every drive and could take it to the house anytime a team was dumb enough to kick to him there are plenty of returners I'd take over Hester, he was just really fast and played on a team with a fantastic return game Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Turry 755 Posted August 3, 2015 there are plenty of returners I'd take over Hester, he was just really fast and played on a team with a fantastic return game It would be a very short list. Hester is 4th all time with a career average of 12.3 yards per punt return. The other 3 guys ahead of him, he has triple more the returns. In 2007 he had 6 combined return tds. ( The Titans had 9 passings tds in 2007). In a two year span he had 11 return touchdowns. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Dutch 874 Posted August 3, 2015 If the Raiders drafted Leonard Williams, that would have been a great addition to help establish a solid foundation on defense. That would have been huge. But then, if Carr struggled on offense, people would have probably said "why didn't they get their possible franchise QB any good weapons? Cooper was right there!" I can understand why they drafted Cooper; trying to set up their young signal caller for success. I can't knock them for that but not justifying it either. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ATL_Predator+ 1,196 Posted August 3, 2015 Carr wasn't even that good last season, very early to name him a cornerstone. Of course, you hope he'll become one. Yeah. You try to be very good when you're throwing to no names, no protection, and no run support. Go do that. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
oochymp 2,393 Posted August 3, 2015 It would be a very short list. Hester is 4th all time with a career average of 12.3 yards per punt return. The other 3 guys ahead of him, he has triple more the returns. In 2007 he had 6 combined return tds. ( The Titans had 9 passings tds in 2007). In a two year span he had 11 return touchdowns. it's tough to compare career stats because most great returners prove too valuable elsewhere to be used a lot on returns, a short list in that category would have to start with Deion Sanders, Desean Jackson, and Dante Hall I will admit that I might be letting the fact that the Bears couldn't find a real position to use him in (and that more than a few of his return TDs followed his blown defensive coverages) but just about all of his great returns to me seemed like one cut, a lot of speed, and great blocking, I can't think of a single time I've seen him make a great move to make a defender miss (though I would happily be proven wrong, I certainly would not claim to have seen every one of his returns) to me, Hester's stats say more about the team than any individual, including the guy who happens to be holding the ball Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Sarge+ 3,436 Posted August 3, 2015 Yea Dante Hall was a ridiculous return man. He had more than a few TD returns that were just stunning. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Turry 755 Posted August 3, 2015 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MVT91mNMS8A https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CYKW9Wq_FLc I cant find all the individual ones seeing as how all his returns tds are lump into one long video. He had one return i'm looking for where just owned 2 lions before booking it. At the end of the day thoo. I'll take production which stats alone prove he is one of the best if not the best over one or two mesmerizing returns. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
theMileHighGuy 656 Posted August 4, 2015 Dante Hall was a fraud He was always just one hole and two illegal blocks from scoring a touchdown. I think they invented the block in the back call because of the 2003 Chief's ST unit. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Sarge+ 3,436 Posted August 4, 2015 I'll have Butthurt Broncos Fans for 200, Alex. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Cherry 1,302 Posted August 4, 2015 (edited) Edited August 4, 2015 by Chernobyl426 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
theMileHighGuy 656 Posted August 4, 2015 his particularly famous one against the broncos has two terrible blocks in the back right at the beginning. watch the video. if it was any team that you followed don't pretend you wouldn't have been mad about it Disregarding that, he was a good runner, that was it. He wasn't a special athlete or anything. He was a total joke at every other aspect of the game. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
