Five things that stood out with the Oakland Raiders initial 53-man roster
By Brad Weiss
Fadol and Hatcher earn spot
Over the preseason schedule, one guy who really stood out on the defensive side of the ball was defensive end Fadol Brown. Brown proved himself to be a force on the edge for the Raiders, and likely earned his playoff spot by playing injured in the fourth preseason game, where his injured foot appeared to not hinder him.
Staying with that fourth playoff game, that is where Keon Hatcher earned his playoff spot, as he went nuts against the Seattle Seahawks. Hatcher hauled in eight catches for over 120 receiving yards, while finding the end zone three times. He showed the ability to beat people deep, and go over the middle, and the coaching staff was blown away by his performance.
Both men will be counted on in big ways in 2018 if the Raiders are going to have success. Brown’s importance was heightened when Mack was traded on Saturday, and when the team released veteran Martavis Bryant, it meant that Hatcher would have the opportunity to continue to move up the depth chart at wide receiver.