Now 1-2 in the 2019 NFL season, the Oakland Raiders are looking to change things up. While their defense has improved, they are dealing with fatigue and injury as the offense just cannot stay on the field.
The offense has been struggling to put points on the board and so far it seems to be a personnel issue. Of course, the loss of one of the most talented wide receivers of the decade leaves a big hole to fill. So far, no one has stepped up to become even close to a replacement for Antonio Brown.
However, fans have been waiting for one player to hit the field and that is rookie wide receiver Keelan Doss. The Alameda native who attended UC Davis became a fan favorite during training camp when he was featured on HBO’s ‘Hard Knocks,’ although he eventually would up being cut by the team and signed onto the Jacksonville Jaguars practice squad.
After the Raiders released Brown though, they were able to bring back Doss by offering him a spot on their 53-man roster. Doss has been back with the team for all three games now, but he hasn’t seen any time on the field.
According to Josh Schrock of NBC Sports Bay Area, head coach Jon Gruden wants the rookie receiver to compete for playing time and expects him to earn more opportunities as the season goes on:
“Like I said, we used a lot of double tight end sets yesterday,” coach Jon Gruden said Monday. “We used three tight ends at times. For a reason, we got a great group of tight ends. That are playing better than just about any unit on our offense. They are playing outstanding football. I know Doss is a topic that comes up a lot, He’s a rookie. He’s right now playing three different positions and he’s backing up all three.
“When the time is right, you’ll see him. But right now he’s got to keep competing, getting better like all young players.”
The Raiders currently have the ninth fewest receiving yards in the NFL and Doss led the team in the preseason with 161 yards on 17 receptions, so he may be able to have an impact at some point.
Depending on how the Raiders fare in their next few games, that time for Doss could come sooner rather than later, especially with Ryan Grant, who was a starting receiver to begin the season, being released this week.
