No area has had a spotlight on it for the Raiders this offseason like the offensive line. That makes sense considering how out of sorts the group was last season following the previous staff dismantling it and shipping its best players away.
They left the new staff with a lot of work to do.
New OL coach Carmen Bricillo knows he has just one sure thing on the offensive line — left tackle Kolton Miller. Everyone else is a wildcard.
For that reason, he must fill the team with versatile linemen so as to simply field the best group he can and slot them in as needed.
“If you’re going to go to a game typically with seven offensive linemen dressed, you’re going to have to be able to play multiple positions,” Bricillo said. “If you’re only going to play one position, you better be one of the best at it.”
Only Miller can lay claim to being one of the best at his position. So, he sticks at left tackle.
There have been two weeks of OTA’s thus far and in each instance, it has been noted that Alex Leatherwood has lined up at right tackle, despite the coaches’ stating he has been playing more than one position.
“Alex, like all the guys have been playing a bunch of positions,” Bricillo said. “So, I mean, it’s a matter right now truly as a group us building some cohesion, understanding the system. We’re not there yet. And just working to develop some core fundamentals that might be a little different, some different teaches that we’re asking them to do.”
Leatherwood, of course, began last season at right tackle and after just four games was moved inside to guard, where he would remain for the rest of his rookie season.
If he is to get his job back at right tackle, he will have to earn it.
Guard is not a given either. The team made Dylan Parham their top pick in the third round of April’s draft and he will compete at both center and guard. Since he arrived, he’s been seen primarily lining up at guard.
“We ask Dylan to do a lot of things,” Bricillo said.
“Dylan is definitely one of those guys that I think is important for an offensive lineman to be smart, tough and athletic enough. It starts with smart. He’s going to play multiple positions, right side, left side, center to guard, guard to tackle, whatever it may be. You have to be smart to be able to do that. Tough, because it’s not an easy job and it’s thankless.”
Even with Dylan pegged as competition at center, according to those in attendance at practice last week, he was not lining up there despite Andre James not practicing. It was Hroniss Grasu playing center.
Grasu is a journeyman veteran NFL center, so it makes sense he would get the nod this early in the offseason. Parham is still in the process of transitioning from playing guard in college and that takes some time. He will get those snaps when the team feels he is ready.