The retirement of Las Vegas Raiders offensive lineman Denzelle Good likely shocked much of Raider Nation. He was expected by many to start at least somewhere in 2022 once he returned from injury. Now, the Raiders have a void to fill. Thankfully, there are still some external options that could provide some depth.
The Las Vegas Raiders should add a tackle to replace Denzelle Good
Good is typically considered to be a guard, but he has plenty of experience at tackle. He also had significant experience there with the Raiders specifically. Most importantly, you could argue that he was the second-best tackle on the roster behind Kolton Miller. Even hobbled and not playing his natural position, Good is still a better tackle than Brandon Parker. Going into his second year, Alex Leatherwood has still yet to beat Parker out, so that tells you all you need to know. The departure of Good makes it easier for Leatherwood to move inside, and the Raiders should do just that. The team would then be free to pursue a true tackle via free agency. Here are three possibilities worth a look.
Bobby Massie
The ten-year vet has played for three different teams over that span. He’s been at least decent everywhere he’s been. It would certainly be an upgrade over what the Raiders currently have. Also, Massie would be relatively cheap and would only eat up a small chunk of the over $20 million in cap space the Raiders currently have. In fact, this is far from the first time the idea of the Raiders making this move has been mentioned.
Bryan Bulaga
The thirteen-year vet is not the force he was during his earlier years in Green Bay. He was most recently cut by the Los Angeles Chargers, who have had similar right tackle issues to the Raiders. Still, it is hard to imagine anyone being worse than what the Raiders currently have. At the very least, he would provide a veteran presence to a relatively young group.
Brandon Shell
This one would just be fun. In his six years in the league thus far, Shell has been average at best. It would not be a long-term solution, but a better band-aid than what the Raiders currently have. Nevertheless, none of that really matters. What matters is that he’s Art Shell’s nephew. Let’s sell some new ’78’ jerseys with ‘Shell’ on the back. At this point, Raider Nation will likely have to accept mediocrity at the right tackle position this season, regardless of who is playing this year. You might as well have fun with it.
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*Top Photo: Detail Zero