Most of the Oakland Raiders roster is set ahead of the 2019 season, but there will be three key positions that will go through a quarrel before it is known who the starter will be and they are:
Defensive End
Rookies are expected to start and defensive end Clelil Ferrell isn’t the exception. He should take over the right side of the line, which leaves the left up for grabs. Sophomore Arden Key must improve if he wants to have a starting role because first-year player Maxx Crosby can compete for it. If Crosby’s drive is an indicator, he won’t go down without a fight and whoever loses will be the primary backup.
Left Guard
The Raiders didn’t do much to upgrade the left guard position and this has been addressed before, but to summarize, recently signed Denzelle Good is the incumbent as we speak and unless Richie Incognito joins the team, anyone could claim the starting job. That includes a pair of undrafted free agents, Lester Cotton and Lukayus McNeil and veteran Chaz Green, infamous for allowing five sacks against the almighty Adrian Clairbone in 2017.
Punter
The punter position can be both overlooked and essential. A good one can pin their opponents down in their own red zone, which gives them a longer field to cross in order to score. The thing is that Oakland doesn’t currently have anyone on their roster that can precisely do that. Drew Kaser, who was expected to compete with Johnny Townsend, was cut not long ago. There is still time to improve the position and sign a familiar name, but if they don’t, it will come down to Townsend and rookie minicamp tryout A.J. Cole. Nothing to feel relieved about.
