Denarius Moore has the story of a guy who you root for regardless of the team he plays for. He's a great teammate, a hard worker, and is determined to improve himself every time he steps on the field. For a guy who was passed over by every team in the first four rounds of the 2011 draft, the wide receiver had a lot to prove to himself and his new teammates in Oakland as a rookie.
As AFC West blogger Bill Williamson tells us, Moore has made all of the right moves.
"He immediately caught my eye," Jason Campbell said this week. "I said ‘we need to get some plays for this kid.' From the first day, it was effortless for him."
Whenever a rookie wide receiver can make that big of an impression on a veteran quarterback, you know he is doing something good. For an organization that has struggled to find consistent play out of their receivers for quite some time, a guy like Denarius might just be the guy to buck that trend.
If Moore is not starting for the Silver and Black early in the season, he will certainly be in the top of part of the Raiders' receiving rotation.
The Raiders are going to ride Moore until he proves him he was a training-camp fluke. There's a growing sense that will never happen.
"He's been tremendous," Oakland coach Hue Jackson said. "He belongs."
Moore has impressed everyone from his coaching staff to the local media with his ability to catch seemingly every football thrown his way and his crisp route running will have him fighting for playing time all season.
"The game isn't too big for him," Campbell said. "He's been just as good in games as he has in practice. Again, the word that comes up most to me is 'effortless.' He's just so smooth for a rookie."
Let's see if his strong preseason camp will translate over to the regular season. If first impressions leave any impact, one would have to feel confident in Moore having a solid rookie season in Oakland. The team could certainly use it.
The team will conclude their preseason on Friday evening as they take on the Seattle Seahawks. Moore, No. 17, will be playing, trying to continue the strong start to his career.
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