Head coach Dennis Allen announced that Jacoby Ford is having surgery on his injured foot and will miss a significant period of time (via Jerry McDonald on Twitter). It's a significant blow to an Oakland Raiders offense that had trouble stretching the field vertically without Ford and Denarius Moore against the Chargers last night.
If you were holding out hope that "significant" meant only a few games, guess again. Greg Papa, the voice of the Raiders, said that Ford could be out for the year (via 95.7 The Game).
Rookie receiver Rod Streater will earn the majority of the snaps in Ford's slot receiver role once Moore returns to action, which is expected to be this Sunday in Miami. Juron Criner and Derek Hagan could also be in the mix as the Raiders look to bring in another receiver.
Ford would be a candidate for the NFL's new injured reserve designation, which allows one player to be placed on injured reserve and come back later in the season. That would give the Raiders' roster flexibility and hope that Ford could return down the stretch.
The Raiders brought in veteran wide receiver Jabar Gaffney for a workout last week prior to signing Hagan. Since Gaffney's contract is not guaranteed, the Raiders could consider signing him or another veteran receiver.
There was also speculation the Raiders brought in wide receiver Tiquan Underwood for a workout after linebacker Aaron Curry tweeted that he had seen him, although no official report ever surfaced.
Other veteran receivers that could make sense for the Raiders include Plaxico Burress, Terrell Owens and Chad Johnson. Owens and Johnson played with Palmer in Cincinnati and Palmer told the assembled media during training camp that he recommended Owens to Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll.
Oakland Raiders
Jerry McDonald of the Contra Costa Times says the Raiders lacked a...
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Oakland Raiders
