Who’s ready to get their hopes up over meaningless football?! Sunday, we finally see the Raiders grace our screens again after that long hiatus known as the offseason.
Raiders Enter Preseason Debut Vs. The Niners With Several Questions On Offense
Questions will mount when it comes to the defense — but for the first time in nearly a decade — offensive concerns have entered the chat. Josh McDaniels essentially hand-picked his quarterback room. The offensive line is as iffy as ever. The receiver room is bursting at the seams, and the running back position couldn’t be in better-
Wait! Josh Jacobs still is not back? Oh boy.
Welp, buckle up, kids. The ever-rocky road that is the Las Vegas Raiders 2023 season begins with a Bay Area showdown vs. the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday. Keep an eye on these two names for the offense, as positional battles are heating up at training camp.
TEAM RAM-ROD! Could A Rookie Seize The QB2 Role In Vegas?
Aidan O’Connell, QB
Can you believe no one has trademarked The Aidan Empire yet?!
That’s one thing to love about sports. Fans love to hype up mid-round picks as the second coming. It is a tradition that should never end. Quarterback Aidan O’Connell will likely see a large amount of the snaps against the Niners. And every throw will be analyzed by every armchair QB coach in a Raiders cap.
“Did you see that check down?”
“Way to take what the defense gives you, Aidan!”
“Sure, he took a sack there, but that’s better than a bad pick over the middle!”
The former Boilermaker has his work cut out for him, with two veterans entrenched above him on the depth chart. Few teams have the top-tier coaching that San Francisco boasts, while even fewer teams have the polarizing coaching style of McDaniels. It makes for quite the dynamic.
By the way, don’t let the living legend Chase Garbers hear about all this AOC hype. All jokes aside, with Jimmy G’s injury history and a lack of enthusiasm in Brian Hoyer’s eyes, O’Connell could see action as a rookie.
That Empire trademark is starting to sound better and better, am I right?
“I Need Jermaine On My Right…”
Jermaine Eluemunor, OT
Remember in The Jackson 5 movie when Michael was upset that Jermaine was leaving the band? The King of Pop couldn’t bare looking to his left and not seeing his favorite brother. (Yes, I know MJ said he didn’t want to look to his left. I’m painting a picture here).
That’s the level of importance Jermaine Eluemunor has at right tackle for the Las Vegas Raiders. Well, at least it is if you ask Jermaine Eluemunor.
If you have a Twitter account — X for all you hip megalomaniacs — you may have seen the six-year veteran tackle making his case. Apparently, that memo never reached the desk of the Raiders coaching staff. The Athletic‘s Vic Tafur reported that Eluemunor was visibly dejected as second-year player Thayer Munford Jr. received first-team reps over him. Things are always fluid, but Munford did play 300 snaps at right tackle last season, mostly impressing, so he’s clearly gunning for playing time.
Twitter Finger Jermaine has been listed as the starter on the first depth chart to be released. But who knows, he may find himself on the outside looking in Sunday, taking reps with the second-team offensive line. While we should focus on how he performs with his place as a starter in question, it’ll be more exciting to see his facial expressions on the sidelines as Munford plays.
In the meantime, how about we enjoy The Jackson 5 performing Never Can Say Goodbye without Jermaine at Mike’s side?
Stiff upper lip, old chap.
*Top Photo: Heidi Fang/Las Vegas Review-Journal
