National Football League

A Year in Review: Seth Roberts

Updated Mar. 4, 2020 10:08 p.m. ET

Fansided, Austin Gayle/FanSided via Just Blog Baby

Seth Roberts struggled with drops in 2016, but the Oakland Raiders wide receiver also came up with multiple clutch plays. Here’s a look back at his year.

Working within the slot for his second year with the Silver and Black, Oakland Raiders receiver Seth Roberts dropped the ball in terms of taking his game to the next level in his sophomore season in 2016, both literally and figuratively.

Roberts, a former undrafted free agent out of South Alabama, boasted a 6.5 percent drop rate in 2016, the fourth-highest rate among NFL receivers drawing 50 or more targets, per Sporting Charts. He had similar problems with drops in 2015, as he finished the year with 7.3 percent drop rate.

Outside of the dropped passes, no. 19 also brought in a career-high 38 receptions for 397 yards and five touchdowns through 16 games last season, 83 yards less than his total in 2015. He averaged just 15.17 yards per game over the course of the Raiders’ final six games of the season, including a one-reception, eight-yard performance in Oakland’s wild-card loss to the Houston Texans.

Da gab es fast das dritte Unentschieden binnen einer Woche. Aber nur fast! ☝️

Die @RAIDERS mit dem Big Play in der Verlängerung. #ranNFL pic.twitter.com/dIBcIEcmCI

— NFL Deutschland (@NFLDeutschland) October 30, 2016

Given said efforts, Roberts earned little love from Pro Football Focus in now back-to-back seasons. He earned a career-low season grade at 48.3, solidifying his rank as the 111th best receiver in the NFL, per PFF. He earned a 53.7 overall grade in 2015.

At 6’2”, 195 pounds, Roberts possesses above average size when comparing to other slot receivers in the NFL, which bodes well for his ability to block on the outside and overpower smaller nickel cornerbacks. However, his lack of short-area quickness and burst prevents him from creating separation early in his routes, leaving Carr without a viable every-down target.

Yes, Roberts has displayed spectacular ability on occasion, and the Raiders are still undefeated (9-0) when he catches a touchdown, but Oakland can no longer afford to have such production within the slot if their offense is going to take the next step in 2017.

The Raiders should continue to develop Roberts’ skill set moving forward, but the team should look to add competition at the position either through free agency or the 2017 NFL draft.