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Greg Little’s first three NFL seasons have been a disappointment, so it was no surprise the Cleveland Browns waived him last week with a new regime in place. He is still a young player (25 on May 30), so it was also not too surprising he did not last long in the waiver process, as the Oakland Raiders added him to the mix on Monday. Will the move allow Little to revive his career?
The Raiders have a deep group of wide receivers, but after a top three of James Jones, Denarius Moore and Rod Streater no one else should even be guaranteed a roster spot. The Raiders upgraded their situation at quarterback by trading for Matt Schaub and drafting Derek Carr, and with the league’s toughest schedule for 2014 (.578 opponent’s winning percentage from 2013) they should be throwing the ball more than they did last season (25th in the league-519; 32.4 per game).
A change of scenery should benefit Little above anything else, and his size (6’2″, 215 lbs.) and physical tools standout among Oakland’s pass catchers. Drops and inconsistency have been issues for Little, but the fact he has hauled in just under half of his targets (49.8 percent; 155 of 311) over the last three seasons can be partially blamed on the Browns starting six quarterbacks during his time with the team.
Little is unlikely to be guaranteed anything in terms of a roster spot or role, but I think only a severe injury would prevent him from making Oakland’s 53-man roster. As long as he sticks with the Raiders, I like Little as a sneaky late-round pick in deep PPR leagues based on target volume and potential upside with the team likely to be trailing frequently.
Brad Berreman is a Senior Writer at Rant Sports.com. Follow him on Twitter or connect on Google +.
