Getty Las Vegas Raiders RT Trent Brown.
The Las Vegas Raiders‘ offense made big strides in 2019 and was a very efficient unit. However, they weren’t able to put up many points on a consistent basis. While most of the spending was done on the defensive side of the ball this offseason, the team did improve in a number of areas on offense. The Raiders’ biggest weakness last season was their wide receiver corps. They added Henry Ruggs in the first round of the draft and he’s expected to make an impact from day one.
2019 Pro Bowler Trent Brown praised his team for the moves they made and made a big claim about the offense.
“I feel like we definitely got better this year,” Brown told Anthony Galaviz of the Fresno Bee. “We took strides last year and we’re going to continue to take strides and just put one foot in front of the other.
“Even with the additions last year, me being one of them, you can look at those guys and trust the [Raiders] organization. To put the right players in place for us to win some games and win championships. With Henry Ruggs, and we still got one of the best backs in the league and we got the best offensive line in the league. I mean, it’s about to be scary. I’m excited. I definitely think it’s going to be special times in silver and black for years to come.”
Many in the NFL are sleeping on the Raiders, but Brown’s assessment isn’t wrong. The offensive line is stacked and could be the best in the NFL. If Ruggs is as good as advertised, the Raiders don’t really have any glaring holes on their roster. Yes, some are still unsure of quarterback Derek Carr but he’s at least good enough to lead a loaded offense to the playoffs.
Brown Talks Previous Von Miller Endorsement
The Raiders turned a lot of heads when they made Brown the highest-paid offensive lineman in the NFL last offseason. However, he quickly showed off that he was worth the money. Former Super Bowl MVP for the Denver Broncos Von Miller has been singing Brown’s praise for a long time and previously said he was one of the better right tackles in the NFL. Nobody could argue with that statement now. Brown is still blown away by the praise from one of the league’s best pass rushers.
“I still have the video saved in my phone when someone sent it to me,” Brown said. “I didn’t know he had said it until Week 1 or 2 into the season. One of my partners sent me the video and was like, ‘Dang, bro, you’re doing it like that?’ This is literally a year after I was drafted in the seventh round. It was just crazy.”
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Raiders Have Best Pass-Blocking OL?
The offensive line for the Raiders was mostly excellent in 2019, but they were hit with a lot of injuries. Left tackle Kolton Miller was the only player to play all 16 games for the unit. However, when healthy, they are elite. In fact, Pro Football Focus recently stated that the Raiders have the best pass-blocking offensive line in the NFL for 2020:
Anchored by Rodney Hudson — the best center in the NFL — the Raiders lead our rankings. The team hasn’t lost a starter from their very good 2019 unit, and since continuity matters, that’s enough of a reason for us to put them in the top spot. Their only weak link, left tackle Kolton Miller, improved significantly in 2019 and can be expected to further improve to some extent. If everything goes well, there should be no excuses for Derek Carr in 2020.
The team has invested a lot of money in creating an elite offensive line. It should pay off in a big way in 2020.
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