Getty Philadelphia Eagles OL Lane Johnson.
The Las Vegas Raiders have started up OTAs and should get a better idea of how their offensive looks. Despite a rough year for the group in 2021, the team decided to mostly keep the same players heading into 2022. Las Vegas can now start to see if that decision was a mistake.
Outside of left tackle Kolton Miller, every other starting position along the offensive line is up for grabs. Right tackle was the biggest struggle area for the team last season. Alex Leatherwood was selected in the first round of the 2021 NFL Draft to take over the position for years to come. He ended up struggling and being moved to right guard.
If Josh McDaniels and the new coaching staff don’t like their current options at right tackle after seeing them in practice, they may want to reevaluate their options. Alex Ballentine of Bleacher Report proposed the Raiders take a “big swing” and try to trade for Philadelphia Eagles right tackle Lane Johnson:
There are no indications that Johnson is available at this point. The Eagles do have options to replace him on the roster if he were to be traded, though. Dillard could play on the right or Jack Driscoll could kick outside permanently.
Johnson would be a massive improvement over Brandon Parker or Alex Leatherwood and give the Raiders two bookend tackles in Kolton Miller and Johnson.
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Johnson Would Be Big Upgrade
Johnson is getting up there in age at 32-years-old but he’s as good as ever. He was named Second-Team All-Pro last season and is a three-time Pro Bowler. The former No. 4 overall draft pick does have some injury concerns and has a contract that pays him an average of $18 million a year. He’s missed 17 games over the last three seasons.
If the Raiders were to trade for him, it would have to be for the right price. Despite his All-Pro pedigree, the team shouldn’t give up anything more than a third-round pick for Johnson. That might be worth it for the Eagles to get off his contract that runs through 2025. For the Raiders, they’d get an elite right tackle for the next few seasons. Johnson and Miller would form one of the best tackle duos in the NFL.
Lane Johnson: The only OT to with 400+ pass blocking snaps and 0️⃣ sacks allowed 🦅
Miller Praises New OL Coach Carmen Bricillo
Tom Cable was the Raiders’ offensive line coach for the last four seasons but replaced him with Carmen Bricillo this offseason. The former New England Patriots offensive line coach has only been in the NFL for three seasons but he’s already making an impression on his team. Miller has enjoyed his time with the new coach so far.
“Coach Carmen’s been great. There’s a lot of new stuff to install, and he’s been doing a great job explaining it, getting us on the right page,” Miller said after a recent OTAs practice. “Young guys, they’re trying to absorb as much as they can and our job as old guys, we’re trying to show them the ropes.”
“There’s always something to work on, and I think that’s spread out across the room,” Miller added. “We’re still young, and we’re just trying to improve in as many areas as we can. It’s all still new. New coach, new system, so just trying to get the basics and execute as well as we can.”
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