The Oakland Raiders have opened up the 2017 NFL season strong with a quality win over the Tennessee Titans in Week 1 and a dominating performance against the New York Jets in Week 2. At 2-0, the Raiders look like the Super Bowl contender many pegged them to be.
One of the more under-the-radar moves Oakland made in the offseason was signing Cordarrelle Patterson to a two-year, $5.25 million deal. The former Minnesota Viking made several highlight players during the 2016 NFL season for his knack for kickoff returns and racking up yards.
Patterson was expected to reprise his role for the Raiders’ special teams, but he has shown he can play multiple roles in the offense. On his YouTube channel, Derek Carr praised Patterson for his versatility as transcribed by Daniel Mano of Mercury News:
We tried to keep it a secret, but you can’t keep it a secret for too long: Cordarelle is someone who can play every position,” Carr said in a YouTube post Tuesday. “This man not only plays receiver for us, but he can play tight end — and, obviously, you guys now saw that he plays running back. To be able to have someone who can do all of those things for our team is absolutely amazing.”
The receiver had three carries out of the backfield that included a touchdown. He also lined up as a receiver as well as returned three kicks for 70 yards. Patterson’s unique blend of size and speed allows him to excel at various positions and he should continue to be a cog for the offense going forward.
The Raiders’ offense looks as potent as ever and it will be tough for opposing defenses to slow them down. It will be interesting to see how they fare against the Washington Redskins in Week 3 of NFL action.
