5 Raiders to benefit considerably from new coaching staff

Not to say that Jared Cook had a bad first year in Oakland, which he did not, but we have to believe that with a little more consistency, he could be a Pro Bowl level talent in 2018. While the bulk of his numbers came in a pair of games in 2017, Cook has on many occasions in his NFL career shown us how dynamic of a receiving threat he can be.

Cook will be in the second year of his Raiders contract and could be a guy that Gruden and his staff really get after to try to get the most out of his obvious talent. Gruden runs a West Coast attack to could heavily feature the shifty Cook as a receiving threat. Being able to attack the middle of the field will be huge for quarterback Derek Carr‘s continued growth as a passer.

Keep in mind that Cook’s former offensive coordinator with the Green Bay Packers in Edgar Bennett will be on this staff of Gruden’s. While Bennett will be in charge of the receivers, don’t be shocked if he has some say in how to best feature Cook in the receiving game as a pass catcher. Cook did make one of the greatest grabs in Packers history in the 2016 NFC Divisional Round versus the Dallas Cowboys.

Lastly, incoming offensive line coach Tom Cable could be huge in Cook’s continued growth. Though not seen as much of a pass protector, Cable could be the guy that could improve that deficiency is Cook’s game considerably. Cable used to coach former college basketball power forwards into NFL offensive linemen. He can certainly improve that part of a former SEC tight end’s game.