Sam Young will return to the Raiders (Twitter link via ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter). On Thursday, the two sides reached agreement on a new one-year deal, giving him a chance to slot into the team’s offensive tackle rotation.
Kolton Miller will start at left tackle with unexpected first-round pick Alex Leatherwood likely to man the right side. Young could operate as one of the first tackles off of the bench behind both players, or an insurance policy for Leatherwood if he’s still a bit green. But, based on the reviews Leatherwood has been getting out of practice, the reserve role seems more likely for Young.
“Yeah, he’s a big body,” veteran guard Richie Incognito said last week (via The Athletic). “He comes from a storied program at Alabama, and he’s done a ton of winning — a couple national championships under his belt. He’s a quiet kid … he’s a hard worker. He’s picking up on what (offensive line) coach (Tom) Cable is laying down, and I expect him to have a big year.”
Young isn’t exactly an elite tackle, but he does offer lots of experience, including eleven games (seven starts) for the Raiders last year. On the whole, he’s got 103 appearances to his credit across eleven pro seasons.
Kinda weird that the Atlantic writer would approach Incognito for a player assessment rather than Gruden.
Was thinking the same thing, tried not to read into it….. Then I read your post.
I looked up the article and it was a re-direct answer to a question about Rodney Hudson’s departure.
Gruden’s not doing interviews right now
Sam may not be elite, but he’s forever YOUNG !!
That’s not Sam Young
That’s Big Chungus