Despite some flashes throughout the season, the passing game was never able to really get going. There are lots of ways to describe just how disappointing the passing game was, but perhaps the most telling is this: Andre Holmes was Oakland's No. 1 wide receiver last season, and he led the team with 693 yards. That left him as the 53rd-ranked receiver in the league.
To put it another way: There were 52 wide receivers across the entire league that were more productive than the Raiders' No. 1 option.
Clearly, the passing game was in need of upgrades this offseason. To address this problem, the Raiders added Michael Crabtree through free agency, and they then took Amari Cooper with the fourth overall pick in the draft.
But while most in the media have assumed that these two will easily win the starting jobs at wide receiver for the upcoming season, there's one player who's been largely overlooked: Rod Streater.
What might have been
While the Oakland wide receiver corps as a whole was underwhelming last season, what's been ignored is that the unit was never at full strength after Week 3. That's when the team's No. 1 receiver, Streater, went down with a season-ending injury.
As an undrafted free agent in 2012, Streater worked his way onto the final 53-man roster. Even so, he was behind Darrius Heyward-Bey (first-round pick), Denarius Moore (fifth-round pick), Juron Criner (fifth-round pick) and Derek Hagan (third-round pick). Playing time was anything but guaranteed.
Yet despite beginning the season as the last man on the depth chart and having to work with limited opportunities, Streater finished the season as one of the top three receivers on the team.
2012 Season Games Rec Yds YPC TDs 16 39 584 15.0...
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Oakland Raiders
