At this point of the offseason, you’re probably tired of the same Las Vegas Raiders storylines. Is Josh Jacobs going to hold out? What’s next for Hunter Renfrow? Will Jimmy Garoppolo be ready for training camp? So, let’s instead dig deeper into the roster for discussions that need more attention weeks before the team reconvenes for summer practices.
We’ll highlight position battles and under-the-radar players who could emerge under the hot Las Vegas sun in August.
Related: Las Vegas Raiders likely to sign 3-time Pro Bowler ahead of training camp
Because of personnel turnover on defense, prepare to hear about a few names that didn’t appear in headlines over the spring. Offensively, aside from Renfrow, the Las Vegas Raiders must sort out roles among their slot wideouts, and one guy stands out as a potential sleeper.
But first, let’s start with the secondary.
Nate Hobbs’ return to nickelback in the works?
After a promising rookie campaign as the Las Vegas Raiders’ primary slot defender, Nate Hobbs had a setback in the early stages of his development, partly because of a hand injury. Regardless of the reason for a rough 2022 campaign, he may move back to the nickel spot.
According to The Athletic’s Vic Tafur, Hobbs prefers to line up on the inside, and he’ll compete with Tyler Hall for that spot. “Hobbs wants to return to nickelback after he had a rocky season primarily lining up outside last year, but Hall will push him.”
Needless to say, Hobbs should have the inside track to the slot cornerback job. In that position, he quickly emerged as a potential building block in the secondary, allowing a 92.1 (out of 158.3) passer rating, one touchdown, and just 7.8 yards per completion for the 2021 season.
Though Hobbs has the edge in experience, Hall could pose a challenge for the position at training camp, or his performances could set off a domino effect that makes Amik Robertson expendable this offseason.
In 2022, Hall played well in a spotty role, allowing a 72.4 passer rating in coverage (zero touchdowns) and logging four pass breakups and a sack in 219 defensive snaps. Hall could force the coaching staff to make a tough decision on Hobbs’ role (boundary or the slot) and final roster cuts. Keep an eye on him this summer.
DeAndre Carter could be consistent Las Vegas Raiders contributor
The Las Vegas Raiders signed DeAndre Carter, and he’s not just a camp body. Because of his versatility and familiarity with passing game coordinator Scott Turner, he may earn a solid role in three-wide receiver sets and on special teams.
In 2021, Carter played in Turner’s system with the Washington Commanders. That year, he caught 24 passes for 296 yards and three touchdowns and ran the ball 10 times for 89 yards. On four out of 10 of his carries, Carter moved the chains for a first down.
If head coach Josh McDaniels adds more creativity to his play-calling, he may lean on Turner for some ideas on how to use Carter all over the formation. Coming off his most productive campaign as a pass-catcher (46 catches for 538 yards and three touchdowns), Carter could benefit most if the team moves on from Renfrow.
Even if Renfrow remains on the roster and Jakobi Meyers becomes the No. 2 option at wide receiver, look for Carter to carve out a role while rookie third-rounder Tre Tucker acclimates himself to the flow of the pro game.
Don’t sleep on guard Greg Van Roten
In May, Las Vegas signed guard Greg Van Roten. No big deal, right? Wrong. In a breakdown of the Raiders’ position groups, Tafur noted that the team “would like Van Roten to beat out (Alex) Bars” for the starting guard position. Last season, Bars started in 14 out of 15 games, mostly at right guard.
Van Roten isn’t a former Patriot, but he can win over the coaching staff with his experience. The 12th-year veteran has started in 54 games since 2018. In addition to his extensive time at guard, he played 159 snaps at center with the Buffalo Bills last season, per Pro Football Focus.
Barring injury, Roten should make the roster with a good shot to start at right guard, assuming Dylan Parham remains at left guard and Andre James holds on to his job at center.
Per Pro Football Focus, Van Roten played at least 700 snaps each year between 2018 and 2021 and allowed three or fewer sacks in those campaigns. If he doesn’t wrestle the job away from Bars, undrafted rookies McClendon Curtis and Netane Muti are the only other realistic contenders for the starting right guard position.
Amari Burney can become a late-round draft gem
During spring practices, Divine Deablo wore the green dot on his helmet, which means he’s the front-runner to take on a key role for this year’s linebacker group.
Even if the Las Vegas Raiders have a ton of confidence in Deablo to take the next step in his second year under defensive coordinator Patrick Graham, they need a reliable complementary linebacker. Amari Burney could be that guy.
Sure, the front office signed Robert Spillane, but he allowed a woeful 109.2 passer rating in coverage last year, which is indicative of a two-down defender with glaring third-down limitations in passing situations.
Luke Masterson and Darien Butler could make second-year strides after playing in limited roles in 2022, but the former struggled mightily in coverage, allowing a 141 passer rating and two touchdowns, and the latter barely saw the field on passing downs.
As a former safety, Burney could become an asset for specific matchups against tight ends. He’s a 6-foot-2, 228-pound linebacker with the quickness to handle zone coverage responsibilities, crowding the top of routes for tight ends and slot receivers in the middle of the field.
Burney will likely start the year on the practice squad or on special teams, but if the Raiders head into the regular season with their current linebacker group, he could get an opportunity to line up on defense in certain packages or against pass-catching tight ends.
Adam Butler was sneaky good free-agent addition for Raiders
In January, the Raiders signed Adam Butler to a reserve/future contract, so he’s flown under the radar among their acquisitions for the defense, but we should take note of his track record.
Butler had a string of productive campaigns with the New England Patriots between 2017 and 2020, recording 96 tackles, 20 for loss, and 15 sacks. He made the most of a rotational role, playing 36-50 percent of defensive snaps in games for each of those seasons.
In 2021, Butler signed with the Miami Dolphins, reuniting with former Patriots defensive coach Brian Flores, but the team released him because of a failed physical. Now healthy, the 29-year-old may find his way on the Raiders roster this summer. Don’t be surprised if he earns a spot on the 53-man roster in September. He can make the splashy highlight plays in the opponent’s backfield.
Maurice Moton covers the Raiders for Sportsnaut. You can follow him on Twitter at @MoeMoton.