The Las Vegas Raiders‘ worst fears were realized when a CT scan revealed that Kolton Miller suffered a hairline fracture. The injury could end his season, but if it doesn’t, he’ll at least be out for a couple of months.
With Miller headed to Injured Reserve, the Raiders decided to make some roster moves. The team announced that they are promoting tight end Carter Runyon from the practice squad to the active roster, and are signing offensive tackle Leroy James IV to the practice squad.
Runyon was an undrafted rookie signing for the Raiders this offseason. With Michael Mayer beaten up, they may just want more depth now. They could also ask him to add block support to help whoever replaces Miller.
Watson isn’t on the active roster now, but it wouldn’t be a surprise to see him get some run at some point. The Raiders are Watson’s sixth NFL team since he came into the league in 2022. He played seven games for the Cleveland Browns in 2023 and then started four games for the Tennessee Titans last season. He doesn’t have a ton of experience, but he could step in if the Raiders have a hard time replacing Miller at left tackle.
Could Charles Grant Eventually Start at LT?
For now, it appears that Stone Forsythe will take over for Miller at left tackle. He has previous experience starting for head coach Pete Carroll.
However, he was Pro Football Focus‘ 132nd-rated offensive tackle in the NFL last season. He hasn’t proven to be a consistent pass or run protector. This has led some to question whether the Raiders would consider giving rookie third-round pick Charles Grant a chance. Carroll isn’t ready to make that move yet, but he’s open to the idea if the rookie can prove himself.
“This is an opportunity for Charles to make it, you know, make a charge for it,” Carroll said on Monday. “We’ll see how he does. He’s done really well so far. So we’ll see what happens.”
Raiders OL Ranked 29th by PFF
The Raiders’ offensive line played its best game of the season in Week 4 against the Chicago Bears. They didn’t allow a single sack, and running back Ashton Jeanty rushed for 138 yards.
Unfortunately, Miller has been their best offensive lineman, so losing him will be a big deal. Despite the strong effort in Week 4, Pro Football Focus still believes the Raiders have the 29th-ranked offensive line in the NFL.
Las Vegas’ offensive line allowed just one pressure — with no sacks or quarterback hits — across 22 pass plays, posting a 97.7 PFF pass-blocking efficiency rating, which ranked first in the NFL this week,” Zoltán Buday wrote.
Jackson Powers-Johnson returned to action at right guard and was not beaten once against Chicago, leading to an 85.4 PFF pass-blocking grade, which ranked sixth in the NFL in Week 4.
It’s good news that Powers-Johnson played so well. The hope was that he’d develop into an above-average starter for the Raiders this season. If he can continue to be an impact offensive lineman, it would help lessen the blow of losing Miller.
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