ALAMEDA -- The Raiders have had a revolving door at wide receiver so far this season, and it might not be stopping anytime soon.
Jon Gruden's club entered training camp with what appeared to be a glut of talent out wide, headlined by Antonio Brown and Tyrell Williams. Brown since has been released by both the Raiders and the Patriots, and Williams has missed Oakland's last two games with a case of plantar fasciitis.
The Raiders signed undrafted rookie Keelan Doss to a guaranteed contract after Brown was jettisoned, and since have traded for both Trevor Davis and Zay Jones while cutting J.J. Nelson and Ryan Grant.
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The Raiders dressed just four wide receivers -- Davis, Doss, Hunter Renfrow and Marcell Ateman -- in Week 7 against the Packers.
With the NFL trade deadline approaching, the Raiders reportedly have interest in Jets receiver Robby Anderson. Josh Gordon, whom the Patriots placed on injured reserve and plan to release when he is healthy, also could be an option for Gruden's club once the receiver is made available.
While all the moving parts have made for a disjointed passing game, the Raiders coach hinted the carousel might keep going.
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"I think so," Gruden said Friday when asked if Williams would be able to go Sunday in Houston against the Texans. "We got a good look at Tyrell this week -- he's got a chance. And Zay Jones is getting better. So, we might make more changes at wide receiver. We're good at that."
Williams' return and Jones' debut should, in theory, give Gruden and quarterback Derek Carr the option to open the Raiders' offense a bit more than they have been able to in recent weeks.
Jones was acquired by the Raiders in a trade with the Buffalo Bills two weeks ago, and he has received a crash course in Gruden's complex offense. Even with Jones sleeping with his playbook, it's a tall task to ask him to master the system in a short period of time.
"You know the tough part for us is we've only been dressing four wide receivers -- I don't know if anyone has noticed that," Gruden said. "So, the fourth guy has to be able to play multiple positions as a backup. In fairness to Zay, it's hard to learn one position in a week, let alone three. He has really done a great job, I can't tell you how happy I am with him and [receivers coach] Edgar Bennett and all these young receivers for coming in here and getting ready to play on short notice."
The NFL trade deadline is Tuesday, so if the Raiders do want to grab Anderson or another receiver on the market, they will have to act fast.
At 3-3, the Raiders find themselves in the playoff hunt, with Sunday's trip to Houston looking like a crucial pivot point for Gruden's club. A win over Deshaun Watson and the Texans would give the Raiders a 4-3 record and a 3-2 mark during their daunting five-game road trip, with three games at the Coliseum coming up.
A win in Houston could entice Gruden to either part with a draft pick for a guy like Anderson or try and sign a guy like Gordon once he hits waivers.
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Either way, it appears the Raiders' receiving corps isn't done evolving.
