With Martavis Bryant out with an injury and Jordy Nelson doubtful for the Raiders’ game Sunday against the Arizona Cardinals, the door is finally open for Marcell Ateman.
Ateman, a seventh-round pick by the Raiders from Oklahoma State who has been on the practice squad, was activated this week and will play Sunday.
Ateman looked good in the preseason, making 12 catches for 139 yards, and Oakland quarterback Derek Carr likes what he sees.
“We’ve built a little chemistry and he’s become someone that I talk to often and I really like him,” Carr told the Fresno Bee. “He’s a good dude, a good kid.”
At Oklahoma State, Ateman had a big senior season in 2017, with 59 catches for 1,156 yards and eight touchdowns. He’s a big target, at 6-foot-4 and 220 pounds. As a junior, he caught 45 passes for 766 yards and five TDs.
“I’m just excited,” Ateman told the media this week. “Just to have this opportunity, it’s such a blessing. You never know when, you never know why, but I’m going to take full advantage of it.”
While Ateman has been on the practice squad, he’s spent a lot of time talking to the team’s veteran wideouts and picking Carr’s brain. He believes he’s already learned a lot without playing in a regular-season game.
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“Derek and those guys are open,” Ateman told Eddie Paskal of the team’s website. “They want you to ask questions. Just to know that you’re into it. … They want to see you engage, and they’re open to it. Sometimes you know when to ask questions, when not to ask questions. You just understand.”
The Raiders also activated wide receiver Saeed Blacknall from the practice squad this week. The former Penn State standout went undrafted but was signed as a free agent. Over 48 games at Penn State, Blacknall (6-foot-2, 208 pounds) had 50 catches for 979 yards and seven TDs.
The Raiders will take on the Cardinals in Arizona Sunday, with kickoff set for 1:05 p.m.
