Oakland Raiders: Five players under pressure in 2015
By Chase Ruttig
Nov 20, 2014; Oakland, CA, USA; Oakland Raiders running back Latavius Murray (28) celebrates with fans after scoring on an 11-yard touchdown run in the first quarter against the Kansas City Chiefs at O.co Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
In his most recent MMQB column, Peter King listed a player on all 32 teams he felt would be under the most pressure when 2015 Training Camps open up across the NFL in the final days of July before kicking into high gear in August. King listed Amari Cooper as the player on the Raiders he felt would be under the biggest pressure, questionably listing the rookie who while having high expectations set for him as the fourth overall pick, has the benefit of being a rookie compared to other players on the roster who either have increased expectations after gaining experience or need to hold their place on the depth chart with new talent coming in at their respective positions.
While Cooper may have the pressure of needing to live up to the label of being a Top 5 pick in the draft, he is not close to being one of the Raiders players who will be under the biggest pressure during the 2015 season as the Oakland roster has plenty of players who need to prove themselves or live up to lofty expectations starting with training camp in Napa. Whether it be a player on the fringe of the 53 man roster needing to earn his place, a hyped player needing to live up to the expectations of fans and the media, or a player in a stiff position battle all likely to be under more pressure than Cooper who is a rookie with his spot near the depth chart pretty much guaranteed going into camp.
So who are the players under the most pressure in 2015? The following is a list of a mix of fringe players, under the microscope stars and players fighting to keep their spot on the depth chart that will need to to overcome the pressure to have successful seasons for the Raiders on an individual level this season. So before 2015 Training Camp opens, let’s take a look at the players who are under the most pressure this season as inspired by the MMQB himself.
Next: Under Pressure: Mario Edwards