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Michael Dyer is Low-Risk, High-Reward Signing for Oakland Raiders

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Michael Dyer

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In terms of overall talent, the Oakland Raiders got an absolute steal with the signing of undrafted rookie Michael Dyer. Unfortunately, the former Louisville running back may never play up to his potential, making him a low-risk, high-reward signing for the Silver and Black.

Dyer, a former five-star recruit, looked like a top-flight running back in his freshman season at Auburn. Unfortunately, off-field issues forced him to transfer, landing him at Arkansas State along with his former Auburn offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn. However, his stay there only lasted one year after another off-field issue forced Malzahn to dismiss him from the team.

He then went to Arkansas Baptist College for a year, where he didn’t play football but earned an Associate Degree, before transferring to Louisville.

Even after landing with the Cardinals, though, Dyer was a disappointment. He looked nothing like the star in the making he appeared to be as a freshman, and ended up missing the final game of his collegiate career due to academic ineligibility.

Still, the talent and potential are there for Dyer to develop into a quality NFL running back – if he can get his head on straight and act like he actually wants it. Many coaches and critics have called into question his commitment to and passion for the game of football, which won’t be an easy hurdle to overcome.

However, if he can play up to his potential, there’s a possibility Dyer could earn a role as a complement to Latavius Murray in the Raiders’ offense. He’d have to outshine Trent Richardson and Roy Helu Jr. during training camp (if he even gets an invite), which is certainly doable given his overall skill set. Chances are slim, though, that he steps up and shows the Raiders enough to keep him around.

It’s certainly an intriguing addition for the Raiders, but Dyer will likely end up as nothing more than a footnote for their 2015 campaign.

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