The Las Vegas Raiders have had an offseason full of curveballs. Although they have fortified their defensive line, they have given its offensive counterpart a facelift, trading guard Gabe Jackson, center Rodney Hudson, and right tackle Trent Brown. It wasn’t a full makeover though, as they have brought back guard Denzelle Good.
The Raiders are re-signing Good to a two-year contract worth up to $8.36 million, per Ian Rapoport of NFL Media. The Mars Hill product is one of the latest players to get a new contract. Guard Richie Incognito, linebacker Nicholas Morrow and wide receiver Zay Jones all got one-year deals.
Good was a seventh-round selection by the Indianapolis Colts in 2015. Over his six-year career, he has appeared in 61 games with 42 starts. Last season, he played 89 percent of the Raiders’ total snaps on offense and posted a 56.7 Pro Football Focus grade. While it’s not an earth-shattering mark, ’71’ held his ground when both Incognito and Jackson went down with injuries. He even started a few games at right tackle in place of Brown early in the 2020 season.
Keeping Denzelle Good helps the Raiders have continuity
This has been a curious offseason for the Raiders. They originally planned to release offensive guard Gabe Jackson and center Rodney Hudson. However, they ended up trading them instead once they saw they could get something in return for them.
Moving on from Jackson wasn’t particularly shocking as the Raiders tried to trade him last season. On the other hand, Las Vegas may have a hard time filling the void Hudson’s absence created. Nevertheless, Good’s presence will lessen his departure a bit. Even though he doesn’t line up at center, his familiarity with offensive line coach Tom Cable’s system makes him a valuable player.
In the end, it’s too early to tell how all the moves the Raiders have made this offseason will play out. They may or may not make the playoffs in 2021 but keeping Good doesn’t hurt their chances.
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