Whose Raiders stock is up & down after Cowboys loss?
By Levi Dombro
Sell High:
Davante Adams
This may ruffle some feathers, but keep in mind that this has nothing to do with his own talent. Adams is still rightfully considered to be one of the best wide receivers in the league, but I worry that his lack of reps with Minshew this offseason may cause a bit of unrest. Nobody is blaming Adams for missing training camp for the birth of his son or sitting out a preseason game after he has a tweak at practice, but missed time is missed time. The hope is that Adams and Minshew can be on the same page immediately, but Minshew seems more comfortable with targeting speedsters like Tucker and Turner or using his tight ends as security blankets.
Dylan Laube
Laube was the talk of OTAs and training camp, but he has been a mere whisper in the first two preseason games. I have a lot of faith in him for the long term, but his stock is as high as it will get for this season. I wish we could see why many were gushing over him in camp, but Luke Getsy seems to be in no rush to involve him heavily in the offense or supplant Ameer Abdullah with him, so he may sit on the end of the roster and even be a healthy scratch on gamedays at times.
Brandon Facyson
Where has Brandon Facyson been? It was talked about all offseason that he and Jakorian Bennett were in a battle for the third cornerback spot, but we have not heard a peep from him since training camp began. He still figures to rotate in quite a bit as the fourth corner right now, but I could see Decamerion Richardson getting the bulk of the reps as a backup instead of him. Like Laube, I think his stock is at a season high right now, so sell him for whatever you can get. I don’t even think it’s crazy to suggest that a veteran corner could enter the mix and make him expendable or a cut candidate.
Buy Low:
Tyree Wilson
Forgive me, but I still have faith in Tyree Wilson. For someone of his size, strength, and reach, there has to be a role for him on the Raiders’ defense. Perhaps he finally learns to diversify his pass rush moves and improve his quickness off the ball, or maybe he bulks up a bit and makes the move inside to DT, where the team is really struggling to find depth right now. Regardless, it is too early to give up Wilson so it’s smart to buy his stock right now when people are starting to label him as a bust.
Janarius Robinson
I’m not sure why people aren’t talking about Robinson more, but he has had some really good moments this preseason. Perhaps people spend more time feeling hopeless about Wilson or they feel that backup edge rushers are not valuable when Crosby and Koonce play as many snaps as they do, but Robinson could have a real role this year. He flashed at times last year but he seems to be in the backfield quite a bit this preseason as well, making a few great plays in the run game as both the primary tackler and the guy who finishes the play off. His size and speed are plenty to work with.
Zamir White
Maybe Raider Nation does not feel this way, but the pundits in NFL media seem to think that White is a low-end starter at running back. What he has shown this preseason, in my opinion, is far from that. He was unstoppable near the goal line last week and his speed is shocking for his size. His yards per carry this preseason will get the job done, especially when you consider the fact that he is not running behind the projected starters on the offensive line. Getsy has also done a great job of mixing Mattison in with him as a complement, which brings out the best in both players. He could be the best running back in the AFC West.