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ALAMEDA – Raiders receiver Denarius Moore’s place on the depth chart was always fluid. He entered the season on a high, moving into a starting role thanks to improved play and a solid chemistry with recently promoted rookie quarterback Derek Carr.
That was a positive turn after being so deep in head coach Dennis Allen’s doghouse through the offseason and training camp that there were questions whether the inconsistent playmaker would make the team.
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He was heavily involved in the first three games, until a fourth-quarter pass clanked off his hands, got intercepted and killed a realistic chance to beat the New England Patriots.
The next week, Moore was a healthy scratch. He fell out of favor with Allen yet again, but the head coach’s subsequent firing has given Moore another chance.
Interim head coach Tony Sparano said Moore would get a clean slate. That’s one last chance to prove himself over 12 games heading into a contract year. It’s an opportunity Sparano will afford to the entire roster.
“I’m going to let my eyes do the talking here and continue to evaluate,” Sparano said when asked about Moore. “Right now, we’re talking about moving on and we’re talking about starting with a clean slate and all that stuff. I believe in that. One thing that Bill Parcells drilled into my head, literally, is that you start it off with a clean slate and believe what you see. That’s the way I’m going to approach it.”
