The Oakland Raiders kick off training camp this week, and with it begin some interesting position battles to keep an eye on throughout the preseason.
There should be much more roster competition this year than there was in years past, and that goes a long way toward showing just how much the Raiders’ overall talent has improved in a short period of time.
Most of the competition will come at the skill positions on the offensive side of the ball, but a key battle in the secondary should have a significant impact on the success of the overall defense as well.
With predicted ...
The Oakland Raiders have had a successful offseason in 2014, but it hasn't been flawless.
The team entered the free-agency period with more than $60 million to spend, and the demand from the fans was high. They expected the team to make a push for any available big names.
However, this was never really a possibility.
The Raiders simply had too many holes to fill, and using up too much of that cap space on just one or two signings was not going to do them any good moving forward. The team needed to be careful when deciding which players to go after ...
The Oakland Raiders should be much improved in 2014 following what was their most productive offseason in recent memory.
However, the team is not without its fair share of question marks heading in, as there remain several areas of concern in regard to how the current roster shapes up.
If the Raiders can answer and/or solve all of which heading into the regular season, there is no reason why they shouldn’t find themselves in the thick of the AFC playoff picture coming down the stretch.
Here are the five biggest areas of concern for the Oakland Raiders heading into training camp.Begin Slideshow
With the trade deadline just over two weeks away, it may be easy to assume that the A’s will now stay quiet following the Jeff Samardzija trade and not make any more splashy moves. The team is already saturated with talent and without their two top prospects, Addison Russell and Billy McKinney, as trade bait.
But here is a scary thought if you are the rest of Major League Baseball: Not only did the A’s land two of the most coveted free-agent pitchers and become immediate World Series favorites, but now with a surplus of young, talented arms, they are primed ...
Not that the Oakland Athletics needed more good vibes in 2014, ending the first half with the best record in Major League Baseball and acquiring Jeff Samardzija before the All-Star break, but Yoenis Cespedes' performance in the Home Run Derby signals another dynamic shift in their season.
The A's slugger started off slow during Monday's event, with just three homers in the first round.
He then got stronger as the night went on by hitting 16 homers over the next two rounds before clubbing nine in the final round to beat Todd Frazier, who could muster just one in the finals.
Cespedes also ...
Training camps are fast approaching, and with them the opportunity for several players across the NFL to secure important positions in their teams' lineups. This is especially true for the Oakland Raiders, a team that has gone through a massive overhaul this offseason.
No matter where you look on the Oakland roster, you’re going to find a roster spot that is up for grabs. Fortunately for the Raiders, there are several players on the team primed and ready to take those spots.
Players like Rod Streater and Mychal Rivera have shown game-changing potential, and incoming rookies like Justin Ellis will enter training camp ...
Much has been made of the Oakland Raiders’ many veteran additions this offseason, and deservedly so, as the roster’s overall talent has been upgraded significantly.
However, it is the play of the younger, less experienced players that will dictate the success of the Silver and Black’s 2014 campaign.
Of course, every team has its long-shot projects it only hopes will pan out someday, but for the Raiders, this idea more so surrounds returning, still-developing players who need to step up and become consistent contributors.
Here are the Raiders’ five biggest and most important projects in training camp this season.Begin Slideshow
The Oakland Raiders are coming off a productive offseason when they needed it the most.
This may be a slow time of year in regard to NFL news, but there are still some important things to consider as the team heads into training camp.
Whether it’s young players already making their presence felt or some insights into schematic changes we may see this year, everything can be important in the success of the team this season.
Here is a look at some of the latest buzz surrounding the Oakland Raiders heading into training camp.Begin Slideshow
Four days ago, the Oakland A’s threw all their chips into a 2014 World Series title run when they acquired Jeff Samardzija and Jason Hammel from the Chicago Cubs. The A’s paid a hefty price to reel in two of the most prized free-agent arms. Shortstop Addison Russell—the A’s top prospect and the No. 12 overall prospect in the MLB—and outfielder Billy McKinney—the A’s No. 2 prospect—were sent to the Cubs farm system, which is now overflowing with talent.
In the wake of this latest move by the A’s, it seems a bit anticlimactic to utter the word “future” when talking ...
The Oakland Raiders will enter the 2014 season with a new-look defense, and one that could make for the best they’ve had in quite some time.
A busy offseason saw changes on both sides of the ball, but it was the problem areas of the defense—the defensive line and cornerbacks in particular—that were addressed accordingly.
Now, the defensive staff may finally have the personnel to employ its scheme to the fullest, making this a high-potential unit this season.
Here is a position-by-position breakdown and depth-chart analysis of the new-look Raiders defense for 2014.Begin Slideshow