After Las Vegas Raiders fans lost their collective minds following a series of transactions, they can rest easy knowing Richie Incognito’s coming back.
It’s been an interesting last couple of days for the Silver and Black in NFL free agency. In a matter of hours, the Raiders’ offensive line appeared to be going through a major shake-up. With the dust settling now, we can start to see the unit take shape for 2021. As a side note, the NFL draft has yet to take place, so there could be more movement. As far as last year’s unit, guard Richie Incognito is returning and couldn’t contain himself, posting the news via his Twitter account.
The news bodes well for Raiders quarterback Derek Carr as it appeared the entire unit was being gutted. Luckily for ‘4,’ Incognito’s return marks the return of one of the highest graded pass-blocking guards from 2019. That year, Pro Football Focus gave Incognito an 88.5 grade in that department. In 2020, it appeared he’d be en route to a similar campaign, posting an 82.7 grade on 74 snaps. Unfortunately, Incognito had foot surgery early in the season, derailing last year’s campaign.
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The Raiders Were Smart To Keep Incognito Around
Retaining the four-time Pro Bowler is smart for a myriad of reasons. After deciding that both Gabe Jackson and Rodney Hudson wouldn’t be a part of the 2021 squad, some continuity was needed. Denzelle Good is returning so that’s definitely a bonus, the swing offensive lineman will likely be invaluable next season. At center, the Raiders could start Andre James, this would leave the interior with Incognito and Good, assuming the latter is replacing Jackson. Had the veteran guard retired or moved on, this unit would’ve been in serious trouble.
If Incognito’s healthy, the Raiders could look to re-establish their run game in 2021. Missing ’64’ surely played a part in the team losing some of its finesse as far as run blocking. For now, let’s continue to keep an eye on the second wave of free agency and see if any other linemen are signed.
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