Oakland Raiders: Why Wide Receiver Is a Major Concern

In 2009, the Oakland Raiders wide receivers struggled due to unstable quarterback play, an inconsistent offensive line, a case of the dropsies, and overall lack of experience.

But, they grew up.

When you look at the core of Oakland's wide receivers—Louis Murphy, Darrius Heyward-Bey, and Chaz Schilens—each took their lumps while experiencing substantial growing pains.

Murphy definitely showed that he is capable of being a reliable receiver. Whether or not he is a number one option is still the question, but his clutch performances showed that he is not afraid to step up in key situations.

Heyward-Bey took the majority of the lumps in his rookie year. But what I can say is he definitely learned that physical talent isn't enough in the NFL. It has been good to see him to continue to perfect his craft in this offseason. Hopefully, that hard work will translate to the regular season.

For Schilens, health is still his biggest enemy. But, what I can respect about his 2009 campaign is that he played injured. I think that lets us fans know that this guy truly cares about helping the Raiders win. Playing hurt when you have the reputation of being fragile is a big thing. I definitely respect it.

But, after those guys, things get shaky.

Let's take a look at the receivers, both starters and reserves. 

Starters

Schilens: Coming off of injury, Schilens is showing no signs of pain or favoritism toward his injured foot. His triumph will be staying healthy for all 16 weeks. When healthy, Schilens is the Raiders most polished receiver, and both Heyward-Bey and Murphy understand his importance to this offense.

Murphy: Murphy is going to continue to progress and may be one of the league's most prolific draft steals. Murphy, I think is going to play a lot in the slot, keeping all three receivers on the field at the same time. This tells us that Mu...