Getty Oakland Raiders DT Eddie Vanderdoes
By most accounts, the Oakland Raiders had a pretty successful training camp. Some of the new players and rookies came on really strong. Unfortunately, not everything went perfectly. There was some drama that got a lot of news coverage. Also, some keys players suffered injuries and others disappointed. Luckily, nothing happened that was too catastrophic. Below we’re going to go through the biggest loser from Raiders training camp.
Antonio Brown
Oh, Antonio Brown. His much-hyped start in Oakland was delayed by a foot injury and has been prolonged because of an ongoing battle with the NFL over which helmet he can wear. This caused him to miss the vast majority of camp and now he’s going to be behind in building chemistry with his new offense. He’s an elite talent and will probably get acclimated quickly, but it would’ve been very beneficial for the whole team if he was there.
However, Brown is mainly the top loser from Raiders training camp because of the optics of this whole situation. Whether this has been an example of media overreactions, or Brown acting like a spoiled child, it doesn’t matter. The media controls the narrative and he has given them a lot to run with. It’s a very confusing situation as he has appeared in meetings and in walkthroughs, but he refuses to put on a helmet that isn’t the one he wants. Who knows? Maybe Brown is just trolling the world. It’s impossible to know that, so until he starts scoring touchdowns, he’s a loser for the Raiders.
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Raiders Offensive Line
The offensive line for the Raiders was looking like it was going to be a strength for the team heading into the 2019 season. Unfortunately, they were dealt a bad hand when Gabe Jackson hurt his MCL. Jackson is probably the most underrated lineman for the Raiders. He’s been a consistent starter during his five years and has played very well. His loss should not be underestimated. With Richie Incognito suspended for the first two games of the season, the team will be without their two starting guards.
Those games are against two division rivals in the Denver Broncos and Kansas City Chiefs. Those are also two home games that the Raiders can’t afford to lose. Kolton Miller has played well at times in camp and Trent Brown is coming along nicely. The team is just going to have to hope that either Denzelle Good, Jonathan Cooper or Denver Kirkland can step up until Jackson gets back.
Eddie Vanderdoes
Performance-wise, Vanderdoes hasn’t done anything wrong, but at this point, it seems like Eddie Vanderdoes‘ body can’t handle the rigors of an NFL career. The often-injured defensive tackle has found himself injured for the majority of training camp with a concussion. He missed all of last season with an injury and he now finds himself inside a defensive line squad that has a lot of talent. He’s all the way in the back of the team’s depth chart and he could be gone any day now. It’s a shame because he does have talent.
Chris Warren III, Johnny Townsend & Ronald Ollie
Perhaps it’s our fault for being disappointed that two undrafted players and a punter didn’t make the team. Chris Warren III became a fan favorite after lighting up the preseason in 2018. He suffered a season-ending injury before he got a chance to play in a regular-season game. The Raiders decided to give him another chance and he completely squandered it. According to offensive coordinator Greg Olson, Warren showed up to camp out of shape and wasn’t ready to work. What a waste of hype.
It’s doubtful that fans are too upset that Johnny Townsend is gone, but the team did use a fifth-round pick on him just a year ago. He was outplayed at every turn by A.J. Cole, an undrafted rookie, and was eventually let go. That’s very disappointing for a fifth-round pick punter.
The only reasons Ronald Ollie had any sort of buzz around him is because he was on Netflix’s Last Chance U. He had a fun personality and it was hard not to root for the guy. Unfortunately for him, Hard Knocks didn’t do him any favors. He came off he possibly didn’t have the drive to succeed in the NFL. He didn’t last very long and the team cut him loose after just a few practices.
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