Offensive Tackle
As it stands right now, the left tackle spot is Kwame Harris' position to lose. In a roundabout way, the '49ers and Raiders exchanged left tackles. The right tackle spot appears to remain in Cornell Green’s hands.
The team wants Mario Henderson to win the job, but he needs to make a dramatic turnaround. The intriguing factor will be finding out if Paul McQuistan can win the right tackle spot. LT Kwame Harris' backup appears to be Seth Wand. If Brown falters, Wand could end up starting.
Wand excels at run blocking, and he has experience starting at LT from his time with the Texans. Mark Wilson and Jonathan Palmer will also compete for playing time.
Center
As it stands right now, 11th-year veteran John Wade was signed this offseason to be the starting center after Jeremy Newberry headed to San Diego.
He is aggressive, has long arms, and is competitive, and he plays with good instincts and can play all three line positions.
The intrigue would depend on how much Chris Morris has developed and the outcome of the battle between Wade, Morris, and Grove.
Fullback
As it stands right now, Justin Griffith is the starter. He is an effective blocker, a deadly cut-blocker, and an accomplished receiver. He is considered small for a FB, weighing in at 230 lbs.
The battle at this position comes with the development of Oren O’Neal, who will continue to garner playing time. As a sixth-round draft pick in 2007, many didn’t expect him to even make the team.
The 245-pound athlete did just that, and he showed that he is an accomplished lead blocker.
Wide Receiver
This position wasn’t as productive as it shouldn’t been in 2007, mostly caused by the multiple starting quarterbacks. That won’t be the case this year, as JaMarcus Russell will be the starter from day one.
Following the team's last Organized Team Activity, Javon Walker, Ronald Curry, and Drew Carter were one, two, and three on the depth chart.
The intrigue comes from the other wide receivers that have the opportunity to earn a roster spot: Todd Watkins, Chaz Schilens, Johnnie Lee Higgins, and Arman Shields.
More than likely, two of these three will earn roster spots, unless the Raiders carry six receivers. Shields has been out injured and missed a lot of practice time. Hopefully he will be healthy at the start of training camp.
Higgins has been inconsistent; having good days and bad days, and Schilens has a good size/speed combination and has shown good hands, which has earned him a slight edge over Shields.
We're going to send you the most entertaining Oakland Raiders articles, videos, and podcasts from around the web.
29 Comments
Loading more comments...
This comment and all replies have been deleted This comment has been deleted Undo delete