Will the offensive line hold the Raiders back this season?
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One of the most shocking developments of the offseason for the Raiders was the turnover on the offensive line. The team traded three veteran starters, all for late-round picks and didn’t acquire any big-time replacements in free agency.
From an outsider’s perspective, it’s not hard to see why the offensive line for the Raiders appears to be significantly worse this year on paper. But the real question is, will the 2021 offensive line hold the Raiders back from making the playoffs? How big of an issue is the new-look offensive line going to be for the team this year?
In a recent article by Kristopher Knox of Bleacher Report, he named every team’s biggest red flag heading into the season. For the Raiders, that was their offensive line. Here is a snippet of what Knox had to say about the retooling of the offensive line:
“The Las Vegas Raiders may have solved their biggest problem this offseason by adding pass-rushers Yannick Ngakoue, Solomon Thomas and rookie Malcolm Koonce. While they bolstered a pass rush that produced only 21 sacks last season, though, they parted with a large chunk of their pass-protection unit.
The Raiders traded three-time Pro Bowl center Rodney Hudson along with offensive tackle Trent Brown and guard Gabe Jackson. Losing Jackson and Hudson is particularly significant, as Jackson played 98 percent of the offensive snaps last season and Hudson played 100 percent.”
There is no debate that the loss of Hudson will be huge for the Raiders. He was one of the best centers in the league over the last half-decade. The team is hoping that one of Andre James or Nick Martin can secure that spot, but the loss of Hudson will certainly be felt.
However, moving on from Gabe Jackson and Trent Brown might not be as detrimental as many believe. Jackson’s play had declined in the past few seasons and Brown was rarely on the field. There is a decent chance that Denzelle Good and Alex Leatherwood could replicate their play in 2021 and potentially be even better.
There are certainly some question marks surrounding this offensive line, but it doesn’t appear to be the team’s biggest weakness either. Don’t expect the offensive line to be a major issue for the Raiders this season.
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