After watching the first four games of the Las Vegas Raiders’ season, there’s nothing more obvious than the struggles of the offensive line.
In the first three games of the season, the Raiders’ offensive line gave up a total of 51 pressures and nine sacks.
The good news is that in Week 4 against the Chicago Bears, the offensive line allowed just three pressures. The bad news is the Raiders‘ top offensive lineman, left tackle Kolton Miller, suffered a high-ankle sprain and a hairline fracture and was placed on injured reserve.
There’s no denying that the Raiders can’t fix all the problems up front on offense, but there are moves the team could make to prevent the offensive line from crumbling apart. That said, here are a few moves the Raiders can make to shore up the offensive line.
In-House Moves to Fix the Raiders’ Offensive Line
The first move, and the one that all the Raiders fans are begging for, is moving Jackson Powers-Johnson back to center.
According to ESPN’s Ryan McFadden, last season, when Powers-Johnson started at center from Weeks 9-15, the Raiders were third in the NFL behind the Dallas Cowboys and Denver Broncos in run block win rate (75.3%).
To put that into perspective, this season the Raiders dropped to 28th in run block win rate (68%). This isn’t to say having Powers-Johnson at center was the sole reason why the Raiders were one of the top teams when it came to running the football, but he was a major reason nonetheless.
Head coach Pete Carroll already said that Powers-Johnson will “absolutely not” move back to center, but it’s puzzling considering he was one of the top centers in college football and performed well at center during his rookie year.
Another move the Raiders should make is to start rookie Charles Grant at left tackle while Miller recovers instead of veteran Stone Forsythe.
It’s not set in stone that Forsythe will start at LT, but Carroll said, “(Forsythe) would be the first choice, but this is an opportunity for Charles to make a charge for it.”
To put it bluntly, Forsythe isn’t a starting-caliber lineman, and it’ll be better to allow Grant an opportunity to get meaningful reps that will help him develop into an eventual starter along the Raiders’ offensive line.
Trade Options
If the Raiders need more than just in-house moves to help shore up the offensive line, there could be some potential options that become available via trade.
One is Cleveland Browns guard Teven Jenkins, who signed a one-year, $3.050 million deal after playing his first four seasons with the Bears. At 6’6″, 321 pounds, and only 27 years old, he could immediately slot in at guard and become a long-term piece up front.
Another option is New Orleans Saints’ 2022 first-round pick Trevor Penning, who could benefit from a change of scenery. Drafted as a tackle, Penning has since slid into left guard for the Saints and could be a low-risk, high-reward option.
Finally, an intriguing option could be New York Giants’ 2022 first-round pick, Evan Neal. His career hasn’t panned out the way he wanted in New York, but like Penning, a change of scenery could be what he needs. Neal has all the physical gifts at 6’7″ and 340 pounds, but the 25-year-old has fallen short of the Giants‘ wishes. The Raiders should be able to get Neal for just a seventh-round pick and take a chance on his upside.
No matter what the Raiders do, they have to take a serious look at the offensive line and make some changes before it’s too late.
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