Raiders offensive line continues to be huge question mark entering July
By Brad Weiss
There is a lot to like about the Las Vegas Raiders offense, but entering July, there are still serious questions about the offensive line.
It has been an outstanding offseason for the Las Vegas Raiders, as they have added elite talent on both sides of the ball. On offense, the additions were huge from a weapons standpoint, as the Silver and Black added arguably the best wide receiver in football in Davante Adams via a trade.
Reuniting Derek Carr with his former college teammate and best friend should bolster an offense that struggled to find a legitimate WR1 last season. Adams joins a wide receiver group that was headlined by Hunter Renfrow last year, a slot wideout who racked up over 100 catches in what proved to be a breakout season.
Las Vegas also added a bunch of depth at wide receiver in Keelan Cole, Demarcus Robinson, and Mack Hollins, while Brandon Bolden should be a key player in a revamped running back room.
All of these additions should be enough to give Raiders fans a lot of excitement heading into the 2022 season, but the questions along the offensive line still remain. In fact, outside of Kolton Miller, there are no offensive linemen the Raiders can be absolutely certain about heading into the summer months.
Raiders must get it right along the offensive line in 2022
Andre James played well down the stretch at center, and he will return in 2022, while a healthy Denzelle Good should provide depth along the interior. Once again, the big question is right tackle, where it seems Alex Leatherwood is going to get another go after a tough rookie season that saw him kicked inside to guard.
There is talent on the roster along the offensive line, including two draft picks, a veteran in Alex Bars, and John Simpson, who could earn a starting job in Year 3. Camp battles will be huge as we inch closer to the Hall of Fame Game, and even with solid depth, moves need to be made to continue to add bodies and potential starters.
The Raiders still have salary cap money to spend, and there are still offensive linemen in free agency that could help them in a big way this season. Adding so many weapons was a stroke of genius for David Ziegler and the front office, but if the offensive line falters, it could all be for naught.