The Oakland Raiders will take the field this season with a new quarterback at the helm in veteran and former Houston Texan Matt Schaub. As training camp wears on and August melts away into September, the team is hoping that it has a top wide receiver emerging as well.
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Andrew Holmes, the former undrafted free agent out of Hillsdale College, is the player in question. He played with the Raiders last season, logging 25 catches for 431 yards and one touchdown.
The 6’4″ receiver has been so impressive thus far in training camp that Schaub and the coaching staff are starting to wonder if he can take hold of the number one receiver spot. From KTVU.com:
"That has elevated the former undrafted free agent atop Oakland’s first depth chart released by the team.While that holds about as much significance as scoring touchdowns in practice, it’s a definite sign of the Raiders believe that Holmes can solve the question of who will be the team’s number one receiver in 2014.“A long strider, has a big burst up the field, can separate and then go up and get the football … exactly what you want from a receiver,” Schaub said Monday. “I’m excited to see what he can do in game action. He’s a big, big threat for us.”"
Schaub’s opinion of the 26-year-old receiver could go a long way, as he will be the one making all of those throws. The quarterback can always do a lot to determine who the number one guy is, after all.
For all the glitz and hype that has been misspent on trying to find exciting wide receivers in Oakland, it would be oddly fitting for a guy likes Holmes to emerge as the top option in 2014.