High hopes for new, young receivers

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Receiver Greg Little was cut by a Cleveland team that needed receivers, so surely occasional drops weren't the only issue. He had 155 catches in his first three years and was also known as a good blocker.

The Raiders ignored the whispers and claimed him off waivers last month.

"Greg Little has done a really nice job," offensive coordinator Greg Olson said. "I guess there were some questions about his work ethic, but I like the way he has come in and really attacked it. He's been very consistent catching the ball every day."

Little said after Tuesday's minicamp practice that he was surprised he was cut, but moved on quickly.

"I was surprised because I thought I had quickly developed a tremendous relationship with the new coaching staff," Little said. "But it wasn't their call. I didn't even ask my agent why they cut me. I just asked, 'Where am I going?' "

The Raiders rolled the dice, and while all the receivers have looked pretty good the past three weeks of offseason practice, Little and Rod Streater have probably stood out.

"It's definitely exciting to meet the new guys, have a quarterback like Matt Schaub and have a chance to establish myself again," Little said. "To have everything in front of me that I want."

In contrast to the 6-foot-2, 220-pound Little, who was a second-round pick in 2011, Streater was an undrafted free agent in 2012 and no one has ever questioned his focus or desire.

Oakland Raiders' wide receivers Rod Streater, left, and Brice Butler take a knee during a break at the Raiders minicamp in Alameda, Calif., Tuesday, June 17, 2014.(AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli) Oakland Raiders' wide receivers Rod Streater, left, and Brice Butler take a knee during a break at the Raiders minicamp in Alameda, Calif., Tuesday, June 17, 2014.(AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli) Photo: Rich Pedroncelli, Associated Press Photo: Rich Pedroncelli, Associated Press Image 1 of / 1 Caption Close High hopes for new, young receivers 1 / 1 Back to Gallery

"Rod Streater has gotten better every week that he's been here, just works hard and has gotten a little bigger as well," Olson said.

Streater's numbers jumped from 39 catches for 584 yards his rookie season to 60 for 888 last season. And those aren't the only numbers getting bigger. As Olson suggested, the 6-3 Streater has gained 10 pounds and is now at 210. In his rookie year, Streater put on five pounds.

"I want to be able to play more physical and also keep the speed," Streater said.

Schaub has fallen head over heels for the receiver.

"Love the guy," Schaub said. "(He's) such a hard worker, you know. ... He wants to be the best, and he works hard at it every day. I'm excited to watch him burst on the scene even more this year."

While the Raiders are rotating receivers right now, and coach Dennis Allen has shrugged off any talk of depth charts, former Packer James Jones, Streater and Andre Holmes appear to be ahead of Denarius Moore, who started last year, and Little.

Holmes came on at the end of last season, and the coaches really like his height (6-4) and his ability to high-point catches. His 366 yards over the final five games ranked 15th among NFL receivers.