Raiders Opinion: Joy And Complete Concern

Eight days from the start of their training camp, the Las Vegas Raiders enter the dog days of summer with a question. On offense, Jon Gruden and more importantly, Derek Carr needs to shake loose the restraint of the redzone passivity that plagued them in 2020. Save for Gregg Williams and his woefully painful Cover Zero call, this team would have finished below .500. This organization cannot depend on a bailout bad playcall to win games. Instead, they need to reach deeply into their proverbial bag of tricks that will end up in more sixes than three.

What WR will see their targets diminish?

Honestly, Hunter Renfrow will lose a numbers game that does not represent his skills or talent. Simply, the Raiders signed a load of veteran free agents that can glide in and out of the slot. First, John Brown, while earmaked for Agholor routes, will probably find his way into the slot from time to time. Also, Willie Snead should fight for reps with a strong camp. Lastly, Henry Ruggs, while at Alabama, excelled on quick slants in the middle of a defense. Whether Third-and Renfrow stays a vital part of the future gameplan, remains to be seen in 2021. He enjoyed the third most targets on the team last year with 77.

Offensive Line Concern?

Actually, Alex Leatherwood does not concern me much as he did on draft night. Considering Sam Young and Brandon Parker occupied that spot, the Alabama rookie provides an upgrade. However, what gives me a sense of nerves remains the center position. Despite the spin from sycophants and the blind faith followers, center sits at the top of the list for alarm. Someone needs to replace borderline Hall of Famer Rodney Hudson. Disagreeing on whether the Raiders need to ship the Pro Bowler feels futile. Andre James and Nick Martin sit in place. After six years of superlative play, the Raiders downgraded at a crucial position. From tape, we know that Derek Carr does not like to feel pressure from the edges. Imagine the pocket potentially collapsing from the middle? Tom Cable needs to weird whatever magical coaching ability he can muster to fix this.

Overall

On paper, the Las Vegas Raiders upgraded all over the offensive side of the ball, except center. On the outside, they presented Derek Carr with a plethora of wideout talent. Jobs on the outside will be quite the stretch and will be in short supply.