Cliff Branch is one of the better wide receivers in Oakland Raiders history, and he will be tasked with helping find the next one.
The Oakland Raiders traded away No. 1 wideout Amari Cooper during the trade deadline in 2018, leaving a void at the top of their depth chart the rest of the way. Veteran wide receiver Jordy Nelson did a nice job filling in during the second half of the year, putting together some of his better games in the Silver and Black, but the teams needs reinforcements for next season.
While Nelson is likely back for 2019, there is not much behind him on the depth chart, outside of 2018 seventh rounder Marcell Ateman, and guys like Seth Roberts and Keon Hatcher. The Raiders are expected to use some of their top draft capital on the position group this April, and they have brought in a familiar face to help them with that process.
Cliff Branch will be helping the team out in the evaluating process during the NFL scouting combine, and who better than to help the Raiders usher in a new era of football. As someone who should be in the Hall of Fame, Branch had a stellar career for the Raiders, starring for the team in both Oakland and Los Angeles.
Branch was a member of the organization from 1972-85, and put together some of the better seasons for a Raiders wide receiver in history. He made the Pro Bowl four times, and was a first-team All-Pro on three occasions. In 14 years, Branch hauled in 67 touchdowns, and racked up nearly 8,700 yards.
The move to Branch makes a lot of sense for the Raiders, who have a brand new general manager at the helm in 2019. Mike Mayock is a former draft analyst, so he knows what he is looking at in terms of talent, but you can never replace the kind of evaluation you can get from a player who dominated at his position for a decade and a half.