The Las Vegas Raiders did a lot of good things this offseason, but there was real concern they didn’t do enough to upgrade the offensive line. Center Tyler Linderbaum was a big addition, but he’s only one player.
The Raiders decided to bet on some of their young players improving with better coaching. The early returns are looking good.
Offensive guard Jackson Powers-Johnson had a very stressful season last year. The Raiders decided they didn’t want him to play center anymore, and then he had to fight to keep a spot at guard. He then suffered a season-ending injury.
Powers-Johnson had to compete again for a starting job, but was able to win the battle over Caleb Rogers. He looked good in Week 1, as the entire offensive line didn’t give up a sack. It seemed like Powers-Johnson may have been on his way out, but according to Mark Schlereth, who was on the Fox broadcast for the Raiders game against the Miami Dolphins, offensive line coach Rick Dennison had a lot of good things to say about the former second-round pick.
“I sat before the game, and I talked to offensive line coach, run game coordinator, Rick Dennison, and I said, ‘Hey, Rico, man, tell me about these guys,’ and he was talking about a couple of guys on the right side,” Schlereth said on the “Stinkin’ Truth Podcast.”
“[Dennison] said Jackson Powers-Johnson … the first thing we worked on this off season was losing weight. He goes, ‘I want you to be quick. I want you to maintain your power, but you’ve got to lose weight.’ Even coming into camp, dropping the weight so he wasn’t so big. He is a different player, on tape, aggressive, getting after guys. He looks like the guy they drafted to be a long-term answer. I thought he was great.”
Powers-Johnson Emergences Would Be Huge
When the Raiders drafted Powers-Johnson, expectations were very high for him. He was a star player at Oregon, but the team didn’t initially see him as a center.
He eventually had to step into the position as a rookie, and it looked like he could be the center of the future. However, the Raiders clearly see him as a guard, and with Linderbaum on the roster, that’s not going to change.
Offensive guard was considered one of the biggest areas of concern for the Raiders heading into the season. If Powers-Johnson can just develop into a good starter, that would be huge for the team. He’s a young player who could man that right guard spot for a long time.
Linderbaum Thinks There’s Room For Improvement
The Raiders offensive line looked good in Week 1, but it was against a weak Dolphins defense. Linderbaum was convinced that they played their best game.
“I thought we left a lot out there,” Linderbaum said. “I think we can do more. So, proud of Game 1, but we’ve got a bunch more ball games left.”
The Raiders have tougher tests ahead, which will really show how far along the defense has come.
Jackson Powers-Johnson Gets Strong Words From Raiders OL Coach