Oakland Raiders: 5 realistic expectations this season

Two 1,000-yard receivers

Last season, the Oakland Raiders leading receiver was their tight end, Jared Cook, so the fact that  they could have two 1,000-yard wide receivers in 2018 may seem a bit far-fetched. However, this offense is going to look completely different than it did last season, as it has the right coaches pushing the buttons this Fall.

In 2017, Todd Downing was an inexperienced choice to be the team’s offensive coordinator, and a strange one, as they finished as the No. 6 offense in the league under Bill Musgrave the year before. He did not coach to the players strengths, and every star on the offensive side of the ball took a major step backward.

Over the past few seasons, it had been Michael Crabtree and Amari Cooper at the top of the depth chart at wideout, but that changed when Jon Gruden and company took over. The Raiders released Crabtree, bringing in Jordy Nelson from Green Bay, and he has looked incredible since putting on the Silver and Black.

During Gruden’s first stint with the team, he consistently had two guys go over 1,000 yards receiving in each season. In 2018, he has two guys in Nelson and Cooper who could produce at that same kind of level, and before all is said and done, both of them will be over the 1,000-yard mark in receiving yards.