Jun 9, 2015; Oakland, CA, USA; Oakland Raiders assistant defensive backs coach Rod Woodson (center) talks with cornerbacks D.J. Hayden (25) and Brandian Ross (29) at minicamp at the Raiders practice facility. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
The general consensus around the league and the media is that the Oakland Raiders are getting better. The most optimistic of us think the Silver and Black could have a chance to press for a playoff birth in 2015, others feel they are one more solid year away from becoming a legitimate contender.
The mainstream sports media loves the big stories, so most of the hype around the Raiders this year is surrounding first round pick Amari Cooper’s development, and the expectations around Khalil Mack and Derek Carr as they enter their sophomore seasons with the team.
These three players are young building blocks for a franchise on the rise, they have potential to develop into a trio of team leaders the Raiders organization hasn’t seen in a long long time. They deserve to get the big time media attention, but the big time media tends to overlook the subtle things that don’t necessarily make ratings on NFL morning shows go through the roof, but will ultimately have a determining factor in the outcome of this 2015 Raiders team.
Read on to see how I think each position set is looking as I grade the Raiders position groups as 2015 Training Camp approaches.
Next: Raiders Position Grades: Quarterback