Oakland Raiders: Rod Streater’s Return Equals Bigger Logjam

By Jonathan George | Aug 18, 2015

Oakland Raiders wide receiver Rod Streater, who had been sitting out training camp since it began at the end of July as noted by ESPN’s Bill Williamson, returned to practice Sunday. Streater had been battling a mysterious illness that apparently hasn’t been diagnosed by doctors yet, but he felt good enough to return to practice and continue acclimating to offensive coordinator Bill Musgrave’s new system.

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While Streater’s return can only be seen as good news for him and Raider fans, it does create an even bigger logjam at the receiver position.

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Anyone who watched last week’s preseason game against the Rams and has been paying attention to the Raiders training camp knows that the receiver corps overall looks much improved compared to the last few seasons.

Both Michael Crabtree and Amari Cooper have been drawing rave reviews both in practice and in the first game of the preseason. Andre Holmes looked good as well, catching a touchdown from backup quarterback Christian Ponder against the Rams. Bryce Butler and Kembrell Thompkins have been turning heads with their practice performances as well. Even Trenton Holiday, currently projected 9th or 10th on the Raiders depth chart, has been exciting coaches with his big return game potential.

With Streater back, the decision on who stays and who goes by week 1 may be a real struggle for Raider management.

As it is, Streater, who by most accounts was considered the Raiders #1 receiver in 2014, is slated to start in the slot as the #3. That is just one example of the talent Oakland expects to be able to put out at the receiver spot in 2015.

The other good news for the Raiders is that if any starting receiver could afford to miss the amount of training camp Streater has missed, it is Streater. He is the only projected starting receiver that has any previous playing time with quarterback Derek Carr, as he played with him for several games in 2014 before Streater was injured. And while they are both now in a new offense, the fact that Carr has a grasp on timing with Streater should help them make up for lost time.

When it comes to the rest of the group and the next few weeks, it will be interesting to see how the coaches decide who stays and who goes. As a reference, per ourlads.com the Raiders carried 5 receivers on the roster last year on opening day. With every guy on game day needed and only 46 players allowed to suit up, there is not much chance that all 11 or 12 guys at receiver currently on the roster see opening day.

That means guys like Thompkins or maybe Kris Durham could get their walking papers. If Oakland could keep every guy on the team they would, but contractual issues and needs at other spots prohibit them from doing so. That could benefit several other teams looking for young talent at receiver, or it could mean the end of a guy’s NFL career.

"Streater, who by most accounts was considered the Raiders #1 receiver in 2014, is slated to start in the slot as the #3. That is just one example of the talent Oakland expects to be able to put out at the receiver spot in 2015."

With three more preseason games to play, injuries and other issues could create natural separation for the group, but with Streater back in the fold and the designated starters playing well so far, there isn’t much room for anyone on the back-end of the depth chart to break through on offense as a receiver. The best hope for many of them will be special teams, and even then, the likelihood of half of the receivers being gone in three weeks is very high.

Too many good players is a nice luxury for head coach Jack Del Rio to have; hopefully for Raider fans the competition at the position will produce better play from the receiver spot in 2015.

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