Oakland Raiders get good first impression from Kenbrell Thompkins

Nov 18, 2013; Charlotte, NC, USA; New England Patriots wide receiver Kenbrell Thompkins (85) gets tackled by Carolina Panthers middle linebacker Luke Kuechly (59) during the fourth quarter at Bank of America Stadium. The Panthers defeated the Patriots 24-20. Mandatory Credit: Jeremy Brevard-USA TODAY Sports

It is no secret that the Oakland Raiders are paper thin at the wide receiver position, so when it was announced that recently waived New England Patriots wideout Kenbrell Thompkins would be headed to Oakland following a sophomore slump to start his season with the New England Patriots there was already optimism that the second year talent out of Cincinnati could bring excitement into the aerial attack.

Now after his first practice with the team and quarterback Derek Carr, both the Raiders starting quarterback as well as interim head coach Tony Sparano are liking what they are seeing out of a player who they hope can be not only an impact right now, but also in the future as they are getting a player who had a talented rookie season in New England where he caught 32 passes from Tom Brady before getting cut recently. In his first practice Thompkins was already excited to get to work, asking Carr to help him get up to speed to hopefully make whatever impact he can as soon as possible for the Raiders according to ESPN’s Bill Williamson

From ESPN:

"Thompkins had his first practice Wednesday and Raiders rookie quarterback Derek Carr was impressed. Thompkins caught 32 passes as a rookie from Cincinnati last season.“The first time he saw me, he wanted to sit down and he wanted me to go over signals, routes, he wanted me to do all of these things,” Carr said. “Instead of just showing up and saying, ‘Hey, nice to meet you. OK, I’m going to go now.’ It wasn’t like that. He wants to learn, and he wants to be out there. … It means something to him, to be good at this game and you can already tell.”Thompkins had six catches in two games with the Patriots this season and was inactive twice. The Raiders are hoping Thompkins can quickly get in the rotation. The Raiders haven’t had any receiving spark other than from No. 1 starter James Jones, who has 21 catches.“First of all, I know where he’s come from and I know several of the coaches over there,” Oakland interim coach Tony Sparano said. “I know how he’s been coached. I think he brings a little bit different skillset. He’s a big kid that can really run, a smart guy out there on the field, and has been a pretty solid player, a good pro. So we’re excited about him. We’ve just got to get him up to speed here as we go along here.”"

Coming to a team that is desperate to find production, there is a huge chance for Thompkins to make Oakland his permanent home in the NFL should the rest of his second season in the league go better than it did in the opening month of 2014 in New England. Competing with a list of fellow role playing wideouts, there is no reason that Thompkins shouldn’t be able to receive a solid opportunity with the Raiders. If he makes the most of that opportunity, his move to California could be a successful one for both parties involved. Already working to impress, expect to see Thompkins on Sundays sooner than later.