Bulking up the guard position was a priority for the Raiders this offseason. And with Gabe Jackson reportedly being shopped in possible trades during the draft, it made sense to do so. But Jackson wasn’t traded, so now they have some serious depth on the interior.
Along with Jackson at right guard, the Raiders obviously have Rodney Hudson starting at center and Richie Incognito starting at left guard. There is some competition behind them, and with so much depth it’s pretty crowded.
Jordan Devey vs. Andre James vs. Eric Kush
Position: Reserve guard/center
Others: Denzelle Good, John Simpson, Lester Cotton Sr, Erik Magnuson
Denzelle Good was in line to start should the team move Jackson, so he is the presumed next man up at guard and his roster spot is secure. Likewise, Simpson was a draft pick – one they traded up in the fourth round to get – so he would figure to at least have a roster spot.
That leaves potentially on spot left on the interior offensive line and three contenders for it. All three can play at either guard or center.
Last year the team initially held onto both Devey and James, with Devey moving to right guard while Jackson was recovering from an injury he sustained in training camp. Then Devey suffered an injury after four starts. Those four starts matched his total over the previous three seasons in Kansas City combined. He was brought back by the Raiders on a one-year deal this offseason.
Kush is a journeyman backup who has started 18 games over the past three seasons for the Browns and Bears. He was signed in March.
James was an undrafted rookie last season, who the team was high on after switching him from tackle to center. He made the roster out of camp as the team’s primary reserve center. Now we see if he can do it again with two veterans who have experience at center and guard.
Depth is always crucial for injuries and the odds are pretty good that an offensive lineman or two will suffer an injury ahead of the season. The odds go up in Tom Cable’s outside zone scheme. One of these three will make this roster. Potentially two of them.
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