Las Vegas Raiders launched the activities of the organized team (OTA) on Monday at the Intermountain Health Performance Center in Henderson, Nevada. Veterans and recruitments mix with the competitive environment established by head coach Pete Carroll, who works to reset the team’s culture.
This offseason, the raiders have several positions to be won, notably in the guard and the cornerback. Tuesday, the team has 87 players on the list, leaving room to add some newcomers in the coming weeks.
Far from the field, the raiders adopt a patient approach with the restoration of a star player, although they expect his return from a training camp this summer.
With the OTA in progress, let’s examine the five largest scenarios to monitor during spring practices.
The recovery of Christian Wilkins of a fracture of Jones in his left foot remains the largest outdoor scenario.
A month ago, the Tashan Reed of athletics reported that the Wilkins healing process was progressive, but the raiders remain confident that it will be ready for the training camp.
While the OTAs started on Monday, Reed followed an update that raised questions:
“His injured foot was placed in a walking boot, but he was released at the end of the season. Then, earlier this offseason, his foot was put back in a boot, according to team sources. He was back from the boot during the OTA training sessions, but the back and forth raised questions about his recovery process.”
Raiders do not need to rush Wilkins to action. Although he will play in the same defensive system as last year, his packaging at the start of the season could become a problem if most of the intersane program is missing.
Who competes with Darnay Holmes for the corner position of slot machines?
After the departure of Nate Hobbs as a free agency, Darnay Holmes is the only half of the machine to the list established on the list. According to Pro Football Focus, Hobbs (210), Holmes (162) and Tre’von Moehrig (123) took the most shots from the slit last year.
Carroll promotes a competitive environment in Las Vegas, which means that Holmes will not automatically claim Nickelback’s work. Although it is not clear that will emerge as its best competitors, the Vincent Bononore of Las Vegas Review-Journal suggests that the security Thomas Harper could take pictures in Nickelback. The recruit Greedy Vance Jr. provides significant slots of his two years to the USC, perhaps giving it the clearest path towards a substantial role among un residual recruits.
Will raiders add more secondary?
Las Vegas allowed Robert Spillane and Divine Deablo to walk in a free agency, creating vacant positions for two new full -time starters from the secondary.
To date, the raiders have signed Devin White and Elandon Roberts while adding Jaylon Smith, who only played 25 defensive snaps with the club in 2023, and the recruit of the seventh round Cody Lindenberg.
Managing Director John Spytek took leaflets on secondors who were either inactive or in rotations in 2024. White and Roberts each played less than 45% of defensive shots for their respective teams last season, while Smith did not play a single Snap.
Second -year players Amari Gainer or Tommy Eichenberg have the opportunity to show Carroll that they can fill these roles. Otherwise, raiders will have to make additional movements to strengthen the position.
Can Jack Bech win the work of large receiver n ° 2?
Jakobi Meyers will direct the receiver group, with the offensive coordinator Chip Kelly likely to mix and match additional parts. For speed, Kelly can turn to Tre Tucker and the recruit of the fourth round of which Thornton Jr., the latter offering an additional size at 6’5 ″, 205 pounds.
Jack Bech brings versatility to line up outside and in the slit, as well as reliable hands. According to Pro Football Focus, Bech has lost only two passes in his last two college seasons in TCU.
This versatility gives Bech more opportunities to see the field and potentially replace Tucker on the perimeter in certain situations.
How do the starting caretaker positions set off?
With Jackson Powers-Johnson probably replacing Andre James in the center, the raiders face large open competitions for the two places on duty. Dylan Parham, Jordan Meredith, Alex Cappa and the third recruit round Caleb Rogers are the best candidates for these positions.
Under Kelly, do not assume that Parham and Meredith have an advantage simply because they are selected. CAPPA provides substantial experience with 96 starts out of seven seasons. Rogers will mainly play a tackle at the guard, but as a third round choice, he will have to compete for a starting role.
The childcare competition presents itself as the most important battle on the offensive side of the ball.
Maurice MOTON covers Raiders for Sportsnaut. You can follow it on Twitter at @Moemoton.
