Raiders send another clear message with Seth Roberts extension

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The Raiders love receiver Seth Roberts.

Dude’s shifty and quick. He has an NFL-best four game-winning touchdowns in two seasons. He suffered a double hernia last year and never missed a practice. He ascended from Pearl Rivers Community College to West Alabama to the Raiders practice squad to the starting lineup. Oh, and have you ever seen him block downfield?

Athleticism. Clutch. Grit. Perseverance. Selflessness.

That’s why the Raiders gave him a three-year, $12 million deal – with $6.45 million guaranteed – when it wasn’t required.

Roberts was set to make $615,000 this season and become a restricted free agent next year, meaning he wouldn’t have been expensive even with a higher-round tender.

The Raiders bought out that year and his first season of unrestricted free agency, when things might’ve gotten pricey. Maybe.

It sent another clear message that the Raiders reward homegrown talent. It keeps the receiver corps intact through 2019, Amari Cooper’s option year and the last season of Michael Crabtree’s contract.

Quarterback Derek Carr likes that trio. The Raiders kept it intact.

While critics point to Roberts’ drops as an issue, that’s fixable. His production is steady and his penchant for performing in the clutch. That makes him valuable, maybe more than a relatively cheap deal that keeps Roberts and a young offensive core intact.

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