Oakland Raiders rookies and quarterbacks hit the practice fields Monday in wine country as 2018 Training Camp kicked off. The first official start to the 2018 season, the Raiders enter the season with plenty of question marks after last season’s disappointing 6-10 season. With Jon Gruden leaving Monday Night Football and returning as head coach, and with QB Derek Carr finally healthy, 2018 could be more exciting than some believe.
From quarterback health to offensive weaponry, many experts are predicting a five-win season for the Silver & Black. Here are the top five question marks facing the Raiders heading into 2018 Training Camp.
5. Can the secondary protect the second level and beyond?
Last year’s top Raiders pick, Gareon Conley, played just two games due to injury. Free safety Reggie Nelson can barely move, despite being a heady player. Obi Melifonwu missed much of the offseason with an injury. Other than Karl Joseph, there isn’t much to celebrate with this secondary. In a division with hybrid offenses like Kansas City, experience matters but so does the ability to shift and move into coverage seamlessly. If this crew can’t get healthy (and faster), Derek Carr and his offense will have to throw up some big numbers to keep up. Can’t allow Chiefs QB Alex Smith throw for 342 yards and three TDs again.
4. How will the offensive line hold up in both the running and passing game?
“Beast Mode,” Marshawn Lynch was brought in last year and fared OK (891 rushing yards), “Muscle Hamster” Doug Martin signed in the offseason, and Carr returned from injury to play OK in 2017. The Raiders line graded out eighth. Center Rodney Hudson led the way, allowing just three pressures all season, along with guards Kelechi Osemele and Gabe Jackson. The line allowed 133 total pressures. The team also drafted two tackles in the first and third round of the draft so the addition of rookies Colton Miller and Brandon Parker should improve an already strong line. This should allow the Raiders to control the ball, and allow the defense to get its breathers when needed.
3. Will Martavis Bryant stay out of trouble and play like his former self?
The pressure to play isn’t nearly as bad as it is for Cleveland Browns wide receiver Josh Gordon, but Bryant is always one slip up from a suspension. Because of the stupid cannabis policy the NFL keeps rolling out every year, Bryant is always going to a question mark. Luckily, he has a selfless mentor in the form of Jordy Nelson. Bryant’s former teammate Antonio Brown cared about one thing: Antonio Brown. Nelson is a veteran leader who has learned under arguably the best QB in the NFL, Aaron Rodgers. Perhaps this is a friendship that will net some impressive numbers together when the duo lines up this fall. Oh, and don’t forget Amari Cooper. There should be no pressure for Bryant to produce, so everything he gives will be a benefit.
2. How will the defense play under new defensive coordinator Paul Guenther?
With Khalil Mack sitting out the mandatory minicamp and the beginning of training camp due to contract issues, the defense is without its central core leader. Regardless, he’ll be ready to go once he gets paid. The defensive play calling will be vital if the Raiders are going to succeed. Guenther has a well-defined scheme with two-deep coverage and plenty of double-A-gap pressures. He isn’t afraid to also employ “odd front” zone blitzes either. In his first year after leaving Cincinnati, expect Guenther to dial up plenty of pressure with blitz packages. Despite question marks in the secondary, the veteran defensive coordinator should be able to mask some of the weakness by getting to the opposing quarterback frequently and fast.
1. Will Jon Gruden and Derek Carr mesh?
“Coach Chucky” has a personality as big as the Stay Puft Marshmellow Man and the ego to match. Carr is as humble as they come, choosing to lead in a less flashy manner. When the two are put together in a room full of alphas, who is going to take the reigns? While as Carr earned the locker room’s respect, Gruden has been broadcasting on ESPN for almost nine years. The locker room is a tricky thing, so this dynamic will dictate the success the team has this season and into the future. Hopefully, they’ll be Bonnie and Clyde, not Johnny Depp and Amber Heard.
