It looks good on paper. The Raiders’ players know that. But Wednesday, when veterans report for training camp (the rookies report Monday), the roster will be put to the test to work toward a return appearance to the playoffs.
“I am excited,” safety Duron Harmon said on the “Faith on the Field” podcast last week. “And I can sense the excitement in the Las Vegas community … and even throughout the league. But we haven’t had a real practice yet. In the offseason workouts, though, I could tell that it’s a great group of guys.
“The guys work hard to get better, and we have a lot of fun doing it. So we’re starting the right way.”
That’s good, because owner Mark Davis gave new coach Josh McDaniels and general manager Dave Ziegler the green light this offseason to put together a roster capable of contending.
It’s a second shot at being a head coach for McDaniels, who was 11-17 with the Broncos in 2009-2010 before he was fired. It’s been 12 years since then, so it’s reasonable to assume he has grown as a coach and person. Is McDaniels up to the task after spending the past decade as the Patriots’ offensive coordinator?
“It’s hard for anybody to leave there — and I didn’t know this a while ago — but it’s hard for anybody to leave there and try to replicate everything that happens there,” McDaniels said when asked if he was going to try to mirror how things were done in New England. “I think the players and coaches know it’s not going to be that way. I’m not Bill (Belichick), and I can’t be, so I’m not going to try. I just want to try to be myself. And hopefully I can be a good leader for our team.”
Here are the top 10 storylines to follow at training camp:
1. How the starting offensive line comes together
The only sure bets here are Kolton Miller at left tackle and Denzelle Good — assuming he has recovered from last season’s torn ACL — at right guard. The other three jobs are up for grabs. Third-round pick Dylan Parham worked at guard and center during OTAs and could push John Simpson at left guard and Andre James at center. Parham has already positioned himself as the top interior backup, but he’ll be vying for more. At right tackle, it’s a two-way battle between Alex Leatherwood and Brandon Parker. Leatherwood seemed to take the lead on Parker during OTAs, but the Raiders couldn’t practice in pads then and it’s impossible to fully evaluate blocking without real contact.
The offense has a lot of potential with Derek Carr, Josh Jacobs, Davante Adams, Darren Waller and Hunter Renfrow leading the way, but they’ll fall short of expectations if the O-line is as horrid as it was last season. Offensive line coach Carmen Bricillo is a key figure as far as the Raiders’ playoff hopes, as the offensive line battles are without a doubt the most important on the roster.
2. Can Carr and Adams make the offense elite?
The former college teammates at Fresno State are finally back together, and Adams gives Carr arguably the league’s top receiver. Remember the confidence Carr had in Michael Crabtree in 2016 (when the quarterback finished tied for third in the MVP voting)? Well, multiply that by 10 with Adams. Add in Renfrow in the slot and Waller at tight end — two of the best in the league at their positions — and Carr will have an open target within seconds every time he snaps the ball.
Heck, maybe the foursome is so good that it doesn’t even need much help from the offensive line. The stable of running backs and depth at receiver (with veterans Mack Hollins and Keelan Cole) are good enough that there is no reason this shouldn’t be a top-five offense.
3. The return timelines for players coming off injury
Some notable players missed all of OTAs due to injury, including running back Kenyan Drake (ankle), Good (knee) and cornerback Trayvon Mullen Jr. (foot). Linebacker Divine Deablo practiced, but he wore a red non-contact jersey. Defensive tackle Johnathan Hankins missed all of OTAs, and running back Zamir White and defensive tackle Bilal Nichols missed most sessions, but they were all healthy scratches. Among the players who were banged up, that’s three potential starters in Good, Mullen and Deablo and a key backup in Drake.
Deablo participated in most drills and Good was observed working on his conditioning with the training staff, but Drake and Mullen weren’t on the field. Drake is progressing nicely from the broken ankle he suffered last season and should return before the end of camp. The status of Mullen, who had offseason surgery on his foot, is more up in the air. Among the players in this group, his status is the most concerning. Whether most or all of them can return before the season opener will be something to monitor.
4. Has Johnathan Abram earned the coaching staff’s trust?
Abram is an extremely talented player from a physical standpoint, but his mental and fundamental errors and lack of durability have been his downfall. He played better in a box safety role last season, but defensive coordinator Patrick Graham calls for his safeties to fulfill multiple roles and responsibilities, including playing deep zones. Abram hasn’t shown he’s capable of that sort of versatility without being a major liability in coverage. So far, though, he has impressed the coaching staff.
“The first thing that comes to mind when you mention it is really his football acumen,” defensive backs coach Jason Simmons said last month. “I’ve been really excited just to see how much he knows just of the game and understands the game, whether it’d be formationally, whether it be scheme, picking it up. I mean, that’s the first thing that comes to mind. I mean, he is a really bright football player.”
The fourth-year player might have a hard time holding off Harmon, who was with the Patriots from 2013 to 2019 before playing for the Lions and Falcons the past two seasons. Harmon is slowing down at 31 years old, but he can play free safety, box safety and slot corner and has a lot of familiarity with the coaching staff from his time in New England, where Graham was on the defensive staff his first three seasons.
5. Should the Raiders add a defensive tackle?
Why not? They already have nine defensive tackles on the roster, but they’re still lacking in one area: interior pass rush. Nichols is the only defensive tackle on the roster who had at least three sacks in 2021. Plus, he posted only 11 career sacks across four seasons with the Bears. Ndamukong Suh is far removed from his prime, but he has registered six sacks in back-to-back seasons and is still an effective player.
The Raiders have over $21 million in cap space, according to Over the Cap, so money shouldn’t be an issue when it comes to bringing him in on a one-year deal. Several publications have reported that the Raiders are one of the teams with interest in Suh. They have an open roster spot after waiving cornerback Stanford Samuels III earlier this month, so they have room to bring the future Hall of Famer to Las Vegas if a deal materializes.
6. Which linebackers step up alongside Denzel Perryman?
You never know how a new coaching staff will take to the players it inherits. Some get the wait-and-see approach (see Leatherwood), some get the ejector-seat button pushed (see receiver Bryan Edwards), some get the immediate embrace. Like Deablo.
“He’s a guy that has a lot of talent,” new linebackers coach Antonio Pierce said. “Obviously, transitioning from that safety position to linebacker. But there’s a lot of physical traits there that I can’t coach, I can’t give them. The mental aspect is where we’re working on, and he’s doing a great job of that.
“What you see is a guy that’s real eager and happy, loves being around the building, loves being in the building, loves ball. I think those are all traits that you want from a linebacker, especially a young guy.”
Veteran free-agent signing Kenny Young also showed well for himself in the offseason workouts.
7. Who will start at wideout opposite Adams?
The early read is that Hollins and Cole have a leg up on former Chiefs receiver Demarcus Robinson and speedster Tyron Johnson. Hollins is 6-foot-4 and faster than you think, and Cole has proven reliable in his stops with the Jaguars and Jets.
Hollins had four touchdowns for the Dolphins last season and should give McDaniels and Carr another option in the red zone besides Adams, Waller, Renfrow, Jacobs, Drake and backup tight end Foster Moreau.
8. What will the running game look like in Jacobs’ contract year?
Your guess is as good as ours at this point. Though Jacobs is the most talented running back on the roster, he has trouble staying healthy, which is why the Raiders didn’t pick up his fifth-year contract option and drafted White in the fourth round. White is a similar back to Jacobs, with the ability to make defenders miss or get run over — just with more longer-run potential. The Raiders also brought in former Patriots third-down back Brandon Bolden and retained the services of Drake, who is better at catching the ball than running it.
It will likely be a running back by committee approach, allowing Jacobs to stay fresh while bringing White along slowly, with Bolden and Drake in the middle of that somewhere. Could Jacobs re-emerge and have a big year? Sure, maybe. Does that mean the Raiders would then sign him for next season? Probably not.
9. Who is this year’s super sleeper?
Most of the hierarchy of the roster is set, which leaves few opportunities for surprises. But undrafted linebacker Darien Butler might have a shot at making the 53-man roster. Pierce was his position coach at Arizona State, so there’s a lot of familiarity between the two. If the Raiders decide to keep five linebackers on the roster, Butler could carve out a role as a special teams contributor. He’s a little undersized at 5-foot-10, 221 pounds, and there would be a few more experienced linebackers ahead of him on the depth chart, so it’s doubtful he would see much action on defense. But hey, special teams matter, too.
10. How long will the McDaniels honeymoon last?
The Raiders play four playoff teams in their first five weeks before their bye week — and the fifth team, Denver, added Russell Wilson — so they would need at least a 2-3 start to avoid any panic or doubt setting in. It’s been well documented what a tough division the AFC West is, but the Raiders roster is improved from last season and anything less than a return to the playoffs would be a huge disappointment. (Last season’s staff, remember, was let go for losing a winnable first-round game against the Bengals.)
But let’s be clear: There is no pressure on McDaniels and Ziegler in their first season in Las Vegas. Carr, who essentially signed a two-year contract extension this spring, will get a lot of the credit for a playoff run and most of the blame if the Raiders fall short.
(Top photo of Josh McDaniels: John Locher / Associated Press)
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