Oakland Raiders' Biggest Remaining Offseason Question Marks
Every team between Super Bowl champions New England Patriots and the 1-15 Cleveland Browns have offseason questions. The Oakland Raiders rank in the upper echelon among clubs going into the 2017 season after a 12-4 campaign, but the front office and coaching staff still have wrinkles to iron out.
Despite a successful season, the Raiders can't expect to challenge the Patriots without an improved defense, which explains the decision to add defensive assistant John Pagano to the coaching staff. General manager Reggie McKenzie also spent the first two days of the 2017 draft adding versatile defenders up front and in the secondary.
The offense will experience a slight shift in philosophy. After the team's second organized team activity session, offensive tackle Donald Penn shared his thoughts on new offensive coordinator Todd Downing:
"Todd is awesome. He made a couple of changes. He made a few changes but nothing too drastic. I pretty much feel we picked up everything so far. He's doing so much stuff that you guys can't even see with DC [Derek Carr] and with just us. He's letting us be us. He's on top of everything. When we're in the meetings, he's telling everybody what they got to do."
We're not going to see what changes Downing made until the season starts, but he's already taken command of the entire offense.
Beyond the X's and O's, what concerns linger as the team goes through organized team activities? We'll highlight some question marks with answers and possible solutions.
When Will the Raiders Lock Derek Carr into a Long-Term Deal?
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Among the offseason questions, deal extensions grade low on the concern scale. NFL Network's Mike Silver reported Carr's frustration with delayed contract talks. However, the Raiders quarterback spoke, with confidence, about a deal that he expects to sign before training camp, per Fresno Bee reporter Anthony Galaviz.
"I have complete faith it will get done before training camp. These things take time. The Raiders know I want to be here; this is my family, and I know they want me to be their quarterback," Carr said.
There's no reason to worry about Carr going through another season without a new deal. McKenzie and every other general manager in the league know a good quarterback stands as the foundation for a perennial Super Bowl contender.
Expect Carr to sign his deal sometime between mid-June and mid-July, when the players have downtime before training camp.
How Much Will Marshawn Lynch Practice or Play During the Summer?
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The Raiders signed one of Oakland's own in running back Marshawn Lynch. Thus far, it's been all smiles and giggles with Beast Mode on the practice field. Several players have talked about his laid-back demeanor, per ESPN.com reporter Paul Gutierrez.
"Beast Mode's a good guy. We actually sit down and talk it up a little bit, and he's a good guy," Mario Edwards Jr. said. "On camera he may not talk as much, but you know, when you get to know him, he opens up to you."
In Gutierrez's report, head coach Jack Del Rio doesn't seem concerned about Lynch's activity during organized team activities.
"Yeah, he's doing great, he's doing great," Del Rio said. “He'll continue to do the things that we're asking him to do. He's really soaking up the system. He's doing a great job fitting in."
On Tuesday, Beast Mode participated in some drills. San Francisco Chronicle reporter Vic Tafur captured the action and shared via Twitter.
At 31 years old, after 20 months without live NFL action, don't expect the Raiders to throw Lynch into practices in full throttle. He's going to have days when he's a light participant through training camp. With his resume, he's earned time to ease back into the fold. The coaching staff already knows what they're getting from Beast Mode.
Don't expect to see Lynch hit top gear until midway through the 2017 season after his body takes to the grind. At that point, his carries will increase as the Raiders prepare for tough competition after their Week 10 bye.
Who Earns Starting Spot at Right Tackle?
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Right tackle raises the biggest concern on offense, but McKenzie made sure to provide offensive line coach Mike Tice with plenty of options to fill the position.
Two rookies, two second-year players and two veterans have a legitimate shot at earning the starting spot through the offseason. Yes, you can include Denver Kirkland in the six-man battle.
Many thought David Sharpe, the Raiders' fourth-round pick, would practice behind left tackle Donald Penn as his eventual replacement, but the Florida product says he's taking snaps at right tackle, via Sirius XM NFL Radio.
Del Rio says seventh-year veteran Marshall Newhouse leads the competition, which isn't a newsflash considering he's the most experienced in games played among the bunch logjammed at the position.
For those looking to pinpoint a favorite in the right tackle competition, focus on Sharpe's development and second-year pro Vadal Alexander, who put together a decent showing as an in-season replacement at the position during the 2016 campaign.
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Who Earns the Starting Spot at Middle Linebacker?
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At the weakest position on the roster, it's difficult pinpointing anyone as the runaway starter once the offseason ends.
In 2016, Ben Heeney earned the starting spot, lost his green-dot duties before the regular season started and then landed on injured reserve with an ankle injury after four games. Cory James started five games in the middle but couldn't hold on to the spot.
McKenzie added Marquel Lee to the mix, but he's facing an uphill climb to surpass two players already familiar with the system.
Del Rio made it known the team hasn't done enough to address the position, per NBC Bay Area reporter Scott Bair:
"I don't know that we've adequately addressed our middle linebacker position, to be honest. I think we have some work to do there. The rest of our roster is pretty well situated, but we'll be looking for a linebacker and we'll continue to look, whether it's the waiver wire, trades or available guys out there, veterans on the street. We'll continue to look."
We can all see another veteran middle linebacker joining the ranks during the summer as teams cut players leading up to Week 1. Keep in mind, Perry Riley Jr. remains unsigned.
In his third season, Heeney may be able to fend off the young players and give reasons for a second chance at holding the starting spot. For starters, he must continue to recover from injury.
He's still on the mend, per Del Rio: "Yeah, he's still a little bit banged [up]. You know how I feel about the injuries this time of year. The guys that can go will go and the guys that can't are going to work at it and he's off working on the side."
The third-year pro will have an entire training camp and preseason to regain his ground in the middle linebacker competition.
What's Obi Melifonwu's Role?
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How do the Raiders use an athletic freak with speed, tackling ability, size (6'4" 224 lbs) and coverage skills within the defense?
Obi Melifonwu, the team's second-round pick, sees himself in Seattle Seahawks safety Kam Chancellor's mold, per San Jose Mercury News reporter Daniel Mano, but he's open to whatever the coaching staff has planned for him:
"(The Raiders) know I’m a guy that can play a lot of different positions, so I’m just looking forward to seeing what position they actually have chosen for me to try out, and actually play. (My size) works to my advantage because there’s not a lot of times you see safeties or DBs this size and this length. I feel like my range and my length can help me cover bigger tight ends and bigger receivers."
Melifonwu's experience at free safety and ability to learn behind Reggie Nelson could help him develop into a versatile defensive back, who can interchange spots with Karl Joseph on the fly. Due to his size, don't be surprised to see him line up as a linebacker in certain packages.
As a senior, the Connecticut product flashed his ability to seek and take down ball-carriers and receivers with 118 total tackles and cover the field through the air with four interceptions. Nelson should hold on to his starting spot while Melifonwu finds his role.
Which Interior Defensive Lineman Separates Himself from the Competition?
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Edwards plans to return to his rookie form after missing out on all but 14 games in 2016. He's aware of his importance on the defensive line and expressed his thoughts after a practice session.
"I always think I can come in and contribute and go in and do what coach asks of me," Edwards explained. "Push the pocket, get pass rush up the middle."
Despite Edwards' complete profile as an interior defender, he's not a one-man wrecking crew. Someone else must kick into high gear to balance the attack up front in the trenches.
Two players could have breakout seasons for different reasons. Darius Latham played well in short spurts and started two games late in the 2016 season. Can he carry that momentum into the offseason? Justin Ellis enters a contract year, and he's playing for a lucrative deal on the 2018 free-agent market.
Ellis won't likely develop into a sack machine, but the Raiders could use a quality run-stopper in the middle. The front office decided to cut defensive tackle Dan Williams, whose play slipped in the previous season.
Without Williams in the mix, the coaching staff could allot more snaps for Denico Autry who's logged six sacks over the past two seasons. Pending his progress through the summer, Jihad Ward will have another opportunity to start on the defensive line.
The Raiders have a plethora of options to bookend odd-man fronts opposite Edwards. Autry's development should help him rise above the pack through training camp and preseason.
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