Following the preseason win against the Dallas Cowboys, the one player that received the most praised and attention for his performance for the Oakland Raiders was rookie wide receiver Brice Butler.
Although relatively unknown player, Butler made a huge impact on the game with only two receptions. Butler immediately struck up some chemistry with third string quarterback Matt McGloin on the team’s lone touchdown drive making an incredible fingertip grab in the end zone.
With Butler being arguably the best player on the offensive side of the football for the Raiders against the Cowboys, the seventh-round draft pick attracted a lot of attention as potentially the breakout player heading into the upcoming season. Even though Butler has received a lot of buzz and positive feedback following his Raiders debut, the rookie wideout isn’t buying into the hype just yet via Vic Tafur of the San Francisco Chronicle:
“I honestly don’t think I played that good,” Butler said. “Until those couple of plays on that one drive, I didn’t feel good about my play at all. I definitely have to work on it. Watching tape, there was a lot of stuff I can work on.”
So far, Butler is saying all the right things and may earn a considerable role on this team as a result of his play. The top two wide receivers on the Raiders’ depth chart at this point in time are Rod Streater and Denarius Moore. If Butler continues to play well and proves to be a viable option downfield, the rookie could become the third starting wideout on the team.
Although Jacoby Ford and Juron Criner still remain in the hunt, Butler has made an impression on this team moving forward and may have a bright future ahead.