The Oakland Raiders cut their starting tight end from the 2011 season as a cap space move this offseason. When Kevin Boss was released by the Raiders, the tight end position suddenly became one of the biggest positions of need for the Raiders. The only TE on the roster that had seen much time on the field was Brandon Meyers, but he is more of a blocking TE than a pass catcher. Despite the apparant lack of a starting TE, the Raiders chose not to use one of their six draft picks on a tight end, and this week's OTA's may show why.
Last preseason, many Raiders fans became rather excited over the prospect of former USC wide receiver turned NFL TE, David Ausberry, and all because of one play. Early in the preseason, Ausberry caught a very tough ball in the corner of the endzone for a touchdown that most receivers would be heralded for, let alone a tight end. Though he did not see much time during the regular season, Raiders fans had seen enough in that one play to be excited about what the future could hold for Ausberry.
Now, with OTA's underway, the Raiders coaching staff is getting an idea of what Ausberry can do. Jerry McDonald of the Bay Area News Group reported that a beefed up Ausberry looked good in OTA's this week, catching a number of balls, including a deep route caught over middle linebacker Rolando McClain.
With Ausberry, an exciting Raiders offense becomes even more dangerous. The Raiders already boast one of the best runningbacks in the game (when he is healthy) in Darren McFadden, some very scary receivers in Denarius Moore and Jacoby Ford, and a FB in Marcel Reece, who has all but redefined what the FB position is. Now, Ausberry provides another mismatch for the Raiders as his history as a wide receiver will make him a handfull for any linebacker trying to cover him.
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