For the first time in a long time, the Oakland Raiders have no question marks at the quarterback position. They enter camp with Derek Carr as the leader of the offense and the guy who will be passing the ball throughout the season. The Raiders have found a key piece to the puzzle moving forward, but the young quarterback was in need of talented targets; this offseason the front office sought out some playmakers.

First off, the return of Rod Streater will add some pop to this offense, as he has been one of the better options on the Raiders roster offensively. His absence last season due to injury had an impact on the passing game due to Oakland’s lack of depth and talent amongst receivers. Now, he’s not a top guy, but he is a solid player and will serve as an option for Carr throughout the season. With the new additions, Streater will have some competition in camp, as will Brice Butler and Andre Holmes. Holmes provided some spark last season, but with more reliable, down the field playmakers on the roster, their roster position is in jeopardy.

Last year, James Jones took the role as a veteran on offense and was the most reliable target throughout the year. He didn’t receive many attempts, but when he did, he usually came down with the ball. With the signing of Michael Crabtree, Jones was released as Crabtree is now the man taking over the role as veteran. His success across the bay with the San Francisco 49ers is well known, and the Raiders are hoping to get that type of production from Crabtree in 2015.

In 2014, Crabtree had 68 receptions for 698 yards and four touchdowns. The receiver also averaged 10.3 yards per reception. In his six seasons with the Niners, Crabtree has racked up 4,327 yards and 26 touchdowns with an average of 54.8 yards per game.

The single most important addition to the Raiders in 2015 is their first round draft pick, wide receiver Amari Cooper. Cooper enters a franchise in rebuilding mode, but will play a key part in its turnaround. Carr and Cooper look to act as trailblazers setting the silver and black back to their winning ways when they were once feared around the league. The Raiders have been a joke in the NFL for a little over a decade now, but are making powerful strides to end the playoff drought and return to their commitment to excellence.

Cooper brings a lot to the table this season and is expected to make an immediate impact with high expectations. The young receiver is a playmaker and can make an impact downfield, a threat the Raiders haven’t had in a long while. Cooper is a smart football player and someone Derek Carr can develop with to create a powerful offensive duo for years to come. 

Reggie McKenzie has a build through the draft philosophy, and thus far he has done just that, knocking these past two draft years out of the park with selections like Carr, Cooper, and Khalil Mack; all players already making an impact and improving along the way.

Looking at the Raiders receiving situation, they were ranked 26th overall in passing and 28th overall in receiving. Oakland receivers the past few seasons have had trouble coming down with the ball in crucial times and have not had players capable of changing the momentum or providing spark, this season they look to have added just that.

The competition in training camp will be interesting. With Crabtree and Cooper looking to make immediate impacts, that leaves guys like Streater, Holmes, and Butler on the outside looking in battling for a spot on this roster.

Oakland’s receiving core has been lackadaisical and mediocre at best since the days of Tim Brown, and even the Hall of Famer was public about the Raiders immediate need of an impact receiver; needless to say he was rather excited when Oakland drafted Cooper with the fourth overall pick. Looking forward the Oakland Raiders look to be on the rise and will feature a much better offense this year. The passing game will improve with the addition of playmakers.

2015 looks to be a much better year for the silver and black and it will be interesting to see just how they perform under a new coaching staff and some stability already in place at certain positions.