On Wednesday, it was reported that the NFL will shorten the preseason by removing two games (Week 1 and Week 4) due to COVID-19 concerns. While it’s certainly possible that the remaining two games are eventually canceled as well, the plan is for the Raiders to play the 49ers and the Cardinals.

For a large portion of the roster, missing two preseason games isn’t a big deal. In the 2019 preseason, Jon Gruden rarely played any of his starters and the games got sloppy pretty quickly.

However, the loss of two preseason games will have an impact on several players, especially for those trying to find a spot on the roster. But outside of just the undrafted free agents and players on the bottom of the roster, the shortened preseason could hurt a few veterans and some of the rookie class.

Today, we are taking a look at the four Raiders who could suffer the most from the reduced preseason.

1. WR Bryan Edwards

Without a doubt, Bryan Edwards’ spot on the final roster is secure. However, his place on the depth chart is not. The No. 81 pick in the 2020 draft had a difficult draft process as he was forced to miss both the Senior Bowl and the NFL Combine with a broken foot. That contributed to his fall in the draft as he was clearly a top-50 talent entering the draft process.

With no mini-camps or team OTAs, Edwards has fewer opportunities to get back up to speed before the season begins. He is a player that could have really used the extra preseason games to get his feet back under him and learn the offense.

But with just two preseason games, there will be limited chances for him to impress the coaching staff and that could cause him to fall down on the depth chart some. In a normal year, it’s not inconceivable to think Edwards could have been competing for starter snaps. Now, he will be lucky to be anything higher than the No. 4 receiver entering the 2020 season.

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