We recently wrote about the unlikelihood that any rookies will be starting for the Raiders to start the 2022 NFL season. The player we gave the best odds of earning a starting role is maybe even better set up for taking the job than we thought, according to Vic Tafur and Tashan Reed at The Athletic. The two reported that, besides left tackle Kolton Miller and right guard Denzelle Good, the other three offensive line jobs are up for grabs.
We had given Andre James the assumption of starting at center after a successful season at the position last year. We also didn’t grant Good an automatic spot as he is recovering from a torn ACL that held him out for all but 18 snaps of last season. But Tafur and Reed assert that rookie third-round pick Dylan Parham “could push John Simpson at left guard and (James) at center.”
They also believe that Alex Leatherwood doesn’t quite have the right tackle job in the bag. He’s being pushed by Brandon Parker, who started 13 games at the position last year, while Leatherwood occupied a guard spot.
Here are a few more rumors from Sin City:
- The addition of star wide receiver Davante Adams provides an obvious No. 1 weapon for quarterback Derek Carr. Carr will have Hunter Renfrow and Darren Waller to target in the slot and at tight end, respectively, but who will be out wide opposite Adams? That role will be a battle between free agent additions Mack Hollins, Keelan Cole, and Demarcus Robinson. According to Tafur and Reed, the former Dolphins wide receiver, Hollins, should be considered the favorite. Though he hasn’t quite shown the necessary production (his best season came last year with 14 catches for 223 yards and 4 touchdowns), Hollins has a large, 6’4″ frame and speed that can make him an effective weapon while defenses focus on Adams, Waller, and Renfrow. Cole has shown more consistent production during tenures in Jacksonville and New York, as has Robinson in Kansas City, but neither quite has the physical tools that Hollins displays. If Hollins can take the next step and make the most of his abilities, Cole and Robinson can be strong assets off the bench behind a starting three of Adams, Renfrow, and Hollins.
- Las Vegas didn’t pick up the fifth-year option on running back Josh Jacobs rookie contract this offseason as a result of some of the injury trouble he’s experienced in the NFL. In total, Jacobs has only missed six games throughout his three years of play, but his struggle to stay healthy has limited him in many other games. Due to health, Tafur and Reed see this as Jacobs’ last year on the team. Their opinion is also backed by the draft addition of Georgia running back Zamir White, once considered the top recruit at his position in high school. While the team won’t put too much on White as a rookie, The Athletic guesses that the Raiders will utilize a running back by committee approach. Vegas will lean on Jacobs to lead, as the most talented, while attempting to bring White along and up to NFL-speed. Career third-down back Brandon Bolden and backup Kenyan Drake will continue their usual roles as the Raiders allegedly groom White to start.
Bolden is there to play special teams and contribute in spurts throughout the year as a stabilizing force for his new team. Coaches who so strongly utilize systems need reliable players to help set a foundation for newly introduced guys.
That said, I’d expect Jacobs to be gone, too. This is through no fault of Jacobs’ own, but McDaniels showed in Denver and is showing in Vegas that he wants his own players. The advantage is that he should have freer reign to implement his scheme, but you always have to cautious that you are not utilizing talent to its fullest extent.
Best case scenario for Vegas seems to be that White runs well as well as Jacobs, and that Jacobs attracts suitors midseason while Drake, White, andBolden fill the void seemlessly. Robinson and Cole seem to be the best bets to start outside, though Hollins has the ideal size and the others are well suited for slot roles instead (particularly Cole). Hollins needs to prove that he can consistently handle targets before McDaniels puts him there, which is likely what Vegas would prefer. Having Hollins outside and Walker underneath gives the Raiders two big downfield targets running different style attacks that would be hard to defend.
All of that makes sense, though I think the Jacobs thing could have less to do with wanting to bring in their own guys/scheme and more to do with simply not seeing his 5th year option as being worth it. You don’t have to dislike or want to move on from a running back to not want to commit to paying him $8 million in two seasons. He’s a perfectly good value this year, and I would expect them to ride him out.
Both I see as true, you’re right. I will say that Jacobs went from a potential pick for best back in the league (and certainly worth an extension) to now being much less certain as a lock for that position. He is firmly right now, in my eyes, a player who could go in either direction for his career. I hope to see him continue to prove that he is a great starter in the league.
I also want to note that “Walker” in my original post is an autocorrected monstrosity and should have read “Waller”. Thanks again, Apple-it’s not like I already to correct “Jacob’s” to “Jacobs” enough times.
Could be. Certainly most RBs are a risk to fall off dramatically. I like him as a player, but I’ve never seen him as threatening the very top tier guys like Henry, Chubb, Cook, and McCaffrey.
That’s why Jacobs doesn’t get paid as a top 5 RB. He’s good, just not as good as those guys. Until you find a better RB, you keep him on a mid tier contract.
Agreed with both. Sorry if I came off wrong.