Oakland Raiders: Who Wins The 5 Key Position Battles?

Tight end:  Clive Walford vs. Jared Cook

If Walford didn’t think his job was in jeopardy before, he sure does now. For a period of time it looked like the former 3rd round pick was ready to become a primary asset in the Oakland offensive attack. Instead he failed to make any sort of significant progress from his rookie year. That is why the Raiders made the move to add veteran Jared Cook, who has a much greater history of success as a receiving threat. No doubt this is a clear message.

Winner:  Clive Walford

This may surprise some people. They would’ve thought the arrival of Cook made it a given he was getting the starting job. That should not be the case. After all, Walford technically posted better numbers in 2016. People overlook that because of Cook’s history. In truth though this move feels like insurance as well as a way to motivate the third-year tight end to really start taking his game to the next level. There is no telling how well it will work, but it should.