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Richie Incognito finally made a tough call when he announced his retirement. He clearly still had enough skill to be a starting offensive lineman in the NFL but his body was breaking down as he only played in two games over the last two seasons. Prior to officially retiring, he signed with the Las Vegas Raiders so he could retire as a member of the organization.
While Incognito dealt with some controversies in his career involving a bullying scandal in 2013 with the Miami Dolphins, his teammates on the Raiders never had an issue with him. In fact, he quickly became a beloved teammate and team captain despite only playing a total of 14 games in three seasons. Though he didn’t play many games, he was a reason why left tackle Kolton Miller made big strides after his rookie season.
Quarterback Derek Carr also formed a strong relationship with Incognito. Upon his retirement, Carr had a strong message for the former offensive lineman.
The Raiders will miss Incognito’s toughness and leadership but he’ll likely still be around the organization.
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Raiders Players Shower Incognito With Love
When Incognito first joined the Raiders in 2019, he got to play with some grizzled veterans like Rodney Hudson, Gabe Jackson and Trent Brown. When healthy, they formed one of the best offensive lines in the NFL that season. In 2021, the team revamped the offensive line and traded Hudson, Jackson and Brown. They were replaced with young players John Simpson, Andre James and Alex Leatherwood.
Incognito went from being a veteran on a very experienced offensive line to the elder statesman of the group. He didn’t play a single game last season but clearly made an impact on the young players. Many Raiders offensive linemen showed up to Incognito’s retirement press conference.
Maxx Crosby is a defensive player but he also had a message for Incognito.
How Will Raiders’ Offensive Line Look in 2022?
The Raiders have had success investing heavily in veteran offensive linemen in recent years. Last year, the team decided to bet on youth and it failed. According to Pro Football Focus, the Raiders had the 28th ranked offensive line last season.
Las Vegas hasn’t made many notable additions to the group this offseason but new head coach Josh McDaniels clearly thinks he can make things work. Ahead of training camp, Vic Tafur and Tashan Reed of The Athletic discussed what the offensive line might look like this season:
The only sure bets here are Kolton Miller at left tackle and Denzelle Good — assuming he has recovered from last season’s torn ACL — at right guard. The other three jobs are up for grabs. Third-round pick Dylan Parham worked at guard and center during OTAs and could push John Simpson at left guard and Andre James at center. Parham has already positioned himself as the top interior backup, but he’ll be vying for more. At right tackle, it’s a two-way battle between Alex Leatherwood and Brandon Parker. Leatherwood seemed to take the lead on Parker during OTAs, but the Raiders couldn’t practice in pads then and it’s impossible to fully evaluate blocking without real contact.
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