Oakland Raiders: Biggest Roster Successes and Disappointments in 2015

The Oakland Raiders roster features some unexpected bright spots and others who shriveled in the California sun in 2015 season.

The Oakland Raiders 7-9 record came as a surprise to pessimists conditioned to expect the worst after 12 seasons without a playoff appearance. To others, a mediocre near .500 record, give or take a game above or below, seemed about right as previously predicted in April elsewhere.

As far as individual talents on the field, certain players exceeded expectations in a wide margin and others fell well below the bar for their season outlooks.

We’ll look back on the 2015 season and highlight undrafted free agents and players who didn’t start the season with the Raiders but put together unexpected productive performances. We’ll also examine what happened to those given an opportunity to break out or redefine their careers but fell short.

The focus takes an in-depth look on healthy and eligible players, meaning safety Nate Allen – who only played five games—and defensive lineman Aldon Smith – who sat out seven games due to suspension—don’t qualify for this listing.

The following five players qualify on a large scale as unexpected successes or disappointments in 2015.

Next: Free-Agent Pickup to Starter