There is little arguing the fact that the Raider receiving corps is a continuing work in progress. There are no real certainties about who will start at the receiver spots next season, and there is only slightly more certainty in who will even be on this team. But here is how the receiving corps should look next season if they are to continue to improve.
The Raider receivers as of now are Darrius Heyward-Bey, Louis Murphy, Jacoby Ford, Chaz Schilens, Jonnie Lee Higgins, Nick Miller, and Denarius Moore (R).
Darrius Heyward-Bey has been handed the number one receiver job since he was selected #7 overall two seasons ago. He has not lived up to his expectations. He improved his numbers from his rookie season but that isn’t saying much considering he had just 9 catches that season. He had 24 last season but could muster just one touchdown.
Louis Murphy is a firey presence on the field. He is also a terrific blocker and can come through in the clutch when called upon. But he isn’t one to consistently get separation and can sometimes drop easy passes. He looks to be the type to hover around 750 yards receiving per season as a number two receiver.
Jacoby Ford emerged as the Raiders’ best receiver midseason last year as a rookie. By season’s end he was inspiring comparisons to Panthers’ Pro Bowl receiver Steve Smith. Ford is fast and has fantastic hands and a nose for the ball.
Chaz Schilens has the skills and physical abilities to be one of the best receivers in the league. But he has never been able to stay healthy. He has so much potential it is hard to give up on him in the hopes that he can get past his injury problems.
Jonnie Lee Higgins broke out as a starting receiver late in 2007 when the Raiders needed him to step up due to injuries. He continued that breakout play in 2008 when he returned three kickoffs for touchdowns. But in 2009, he disappeared and has yet to reappear.
Nick Miller has shown flashes of being the kind of speedy possession receiver many great teams rely on to move the chains. But he was injured thoughout the 2009 season and was inactive for much of the 2010 season.
Denarius Moore has been lauded for his fantastic hands. Undependable receivers have been one of the bigger issues with the Raider offense. Moore was drafted to offer the dependability they lack. He is seen as a possession receiver who can hopefully go over the middle.
Round seven pick David Ausberry is listed as a receiver on the Raider roster but I see him playing tight end and being relegated to the practice squad to begin the season.
Jacoby Ford should emerge as the Raiders’ best option as the number one receiver. If Chaz Schilens is healthy, he would be the ideal complement on the opposite side. Louis Murphy could step up as the number two receiver if Schilens gets injured again. Darrius Heyward-Bey is a hard worker who wants desperately to live up to his draft status. He will be retained to see if he can make strides toward achieving that goal. Denarius Moore is a rookie and will be given a shot to be the final receiver on this team and work his way up to the slot receiver. Unless he has a tremendous camp and preseason, he will likely not see much playing time and even be inactive for some games.
The Raiders should look at a free agent receiver as well. Whomever they bring in will compete in camp to either take Schilens’ roster spot if he gets injured again or force the Raiders to retain six receivers as they did last season.
In the end the wide receivers should look like this:
1. Jacoby Ford
2. Chaz Schilens or Free Agent
3. Louis Murphy
4. Darrius Heyward-Bey
5. Denarius Moore
Odd men out:
Jonnie Lee Higgins
Nick Miller
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