When the preseason starts, there will be 70 players on the Oakland Raiders roster. By the fourth week of the preseason, they will be forced to cut that down by 17 players to a functional 53-man roster. That means that some of the players that are currently considering themselves Raiders will not be on the opening day squad. Being that is the case, I’m going to take a closer look at some of the fringe players currently with the team and give you my take on who is staying and who is on the outs.
WR Nick Miller is a guy that you just have to get on his bandwagon. After only seeing a limited role in the 2010 offense, Miller is busting his butt in an effort to see more substantial field time in 2011. Used primarily as the team’s punt returner last season, Miller wants to prove that he can be a consistent threat as a wide out also. From participating in a week long receiver session at quarterback Jason Campbell’s house to a four-day session at the Richard Seymour organized team activities in Atlanta, Miller appears to be on the right track to earning his one-year $480,000 contract this season. Working with Pro Bowl and Super Bowl wide receivers Greg Jennings and Larry Fitzgerald in Arizona only stands to increase his stock moving forward with this inadequit squad of wide receivers the Raiders currently have.
HB Michael Bennett is one man that appears to have his days numbered in Oakland. The team is already expecting the return of Michael Bush, Darren McFadden, and Rock Cartwright. This year’s fourth round draft choice was a halfback named Taiwan Jones, who appears to be the ultimate sleeper. They’ve also brought back the services of Louis Rankin. Bennett is an old veteran who’s best days are behind him and the fact that he already spent most of 2010 on the inactive list makes me think the Raiders will not honor the one-year deal that he signed earlier this year. For now, Bennett will play the role of an extra preseason ball handler though it remains to be seen if he actually has more to offer.
SS Jerome Boyd has an on again off again relationship with the Raiders. In 2009, he made it through a whole season on the practice squad. In 2010, he was cut in favor of rookie Stevie Brown, who had more regular season field time in his rookie season than Boyd has had in his career and this time he did not find himself on the practice squad. Now it’s 2011, and the Raiders have decided to give Boyd another crack at making the team. Last preseason, Boyd had me convinced that he would make the opening day roster for the team. His preseason interception return for a touchdown only solidified my belief. In my honest opinion, Boyd is a very talented young man that has every opportunity to make the team this year following the departure of Michael Huff.
LB Bruce Davis was brought in last year when the Raiders found themselves in trouble with their linebacker depth. He earned himself four tackles in 2010. His father, Bruce Davis Sr. started at offensive tackle for Al Davis’ Raiders in Super Bowl XVIII and earned two Super Bowl rings during his time with the Raiders. Davis Jr. was a member of the Pittsburgh Steelers before joining the Raiders and was the back-up to their outstanding outside linebacker, Lamarr Woodley. Being a part of that linebacker corp. gives him an advantage when he takes the field in 2011 for the Raiders. But with the depth that the team already has, Davis is going to have his work cut out for him.
DE Jarvis Moss has a distinct advantage due to the fact that he is a former first-round draft choice. We all know that Al Davis loves first rounder’s that don’t work out for other teams and it’s even sweeter when the said player a team from the AFC West. Moss is going to be given every chance to show what he has on the field this year after joining the team halfway through the season last year. The6’7” Moss got himself three tackles and a sack in the season finale at Kansas City. With some uncertainty surrounding Trevor Scott’s position and the condition of his knee, I could definitely see Moss being the type of versatile player the Raiders want to be a part of their defensive front. Especially following the success the team had with Kamerion Wimbley, a former first round pick of the Cleveland Browns.
FB Monase Tonga became known as one of the better pure blockers in the fullback class of 2011, Tonga signed a one-year undrafted rookie contract with the Raiders at the start of last season. While Tonga didn’t earn himself a spot on the final roster, he did indeed earn himself one of the nine practice squad spots for the team and a chance to further develop his skills with a professional organization…well somewhat professional anyway. With all the talk of the Raiders needing a pure blocking fullback that some think Marcel Reece is not, I’m surprised by how many people have forgotten that Tonga even exists. Look for him to get crucial playing time this preseason as he attempts to prove that the Raiders do not need anything fullback related this year.
HB Louis Rankin as many of you may remember, is a guy that should have made the active roster in 2009. At least that’s how I remember him – as the scat back the Raiders needed at the time and passed up. Personally, I was a little bit upset that the Raiders decided not to give Rankin more of a chance, especially considering they ended up cutting the guy they chose in over him just a few months later, Justin Fargas. Like I said, the running backfield for the Raiders is crowded this year and Rankin’s odds this year are even lower than a few seasons ago. Still, I like Rankin for the player that he has shown glimpses of being in the past and there is still an significant chance that incoming rookie, Taiwan Jones, needs more time to develop before he is ready, relegating him to the 2011 practice squad. If that’s the case, Rankin would be the perfect guy to fill-in for him until he is ready to go pro.
Other fringe players not included in this article are: WR’s Damola Adeniji and Shaun Bodiford, TE Kevin Brock, DE Tommie Hill, QB J.T. O’Sullivan, P Glenn Pakulak, OL Alex Parsons and Roy Schuening, and DB Joe Porter
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