With wide receiver Denarius Moore missing a second straight day of practice with a shoulder injury, putting his status in doubt, Holmes will likely see increased playing time when the Raiders attempt to win back-to-back games for the first time this season.
Holmes has just one catch in four games this season. The 25-year-old wasn’t even added to Oakland’s 53-man roster until the team released quarterback Matt Flynn on Oct. 7, six days before the Raiders’ Week 6 game against Kansas City.
Yet he remains a tantalizing prospect because of his size alone. At 6’4” and 210 pounds, Holmes is the tallest, biggest wide receiver Oakland has. That height came in handy against the Texans when Holmes made a leaping 33-yard catch near the right sideline early in the second quarter.
It was just the third career reception for Holmes, who spent most of 2011 on the Dallas Cowboys’ practice squad before playing in seven games last year.
Given the dearth of talent the Raiders have at receiver, however, Holmes is probably one of the best options head coach Dennis Allen has if Moore can’t play.
“He’s a big target,” Allen said Thursday when asked about Holmes. “He runs pretty well, can get down the field and make some plays down the field. Listen, he’s a solid player for us. I think we’ve got several quality wide receivers. All those guys have been a factor for us and they need to continue to be a factor for us.”
The problem is that with the exception of Moore and Rod Streater, no other wide receiver has stepped up.
Moore leads the Raiders ...
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Oakland Raiders
