Last season, the Las Vegas Raiders offense was the only thing the team had going for them. They averaged 27.1 points per game, which was good for 10th in the NFL. A big reason why the offense succeeded was because of the offensive line. Despite some injury issues, the group was able to keep Derek Carr relatively clean.
Instead of running it back, the Raiders decided to trade away three key veterans and replace them with younger options. While that could be the right move, in the long run, it has hurt the team’s depth in the short term. Offensive line depth will be a key thing to watch this year. Fortunately for Las Vegas, they were able to find a solid veteran among the litany of roster cuts.
The Raiders announced the signing of veteran offensive tackle Jermain Eluemunor amongst others.
Eluemunor spent time with the Miami Dolphins and Jacksonville Jaguars this offseason but couldn’t stick on their regular-season rosters. In the past, he’s played games for the Baltimore Ravens and New England Patriots, including eight starts last season for the latter. He’s played 740 snaps over his career and should provide some solid depth for the Raiders.
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Raiders Send Key Players to Injured Reserve
In addition to the Eluemunor signing, the Raiders announced that they are sending linebacker Nicholas Morrow, cornerback Keisean Nixson, running back Jalen Richard and linebacker Javin White to Injured Reserve. Fortunately, all of those players will be on the short-term I.R. and should be able to return as early as Week 4 if they get healthy.
Morrow is the biggest blow as he was supposed to start at middle linebacker. The team recently traded for Denzel Perryman and signed K.J. Wright to help replace him. If Morrow can return soon, the Raiders will have really strong depth at linebacker.
Richard being out is also a blow. He’s the team’s best pass-blocking running back and is a solid receiver out of the backfield. He’s been out for some time but the fact that he didn’t get cut means that Las Vegas is hopeful he’ll return soon. White and Nixon were with the team last year and should provide help on special teams when they return.
Derek Carrier & Dallin Leavitt Back
Lastly, the Raiders also announced that they’ve decided to bring back tight end Derek Carrier and defensive back Dallin Leavitt to the active roster. They were both part of the team’s initial roster cut down but placing the four previously mentioned players on injured reserve added some room to the roster. It’s no surprise that Carrier is back as nobody expected him to get cut, to begin with. The veteran tight end has been with the Raiders every year since Jon Gruden returned in 2018 and isn’t likely to go anywhere anytime soon.
Leavitt has also been with the team since 2018 and hasn’t played anywhere else. He’s hopped on and off the Raiders’ roster but always sticks around. He’s played in 26 games for the team and will provide some solid depth in the secondary while taking most of their special teams snaps.
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