On Tuesday, the Las Vegas Raiders went into full swing at training camp with rookies and veterans present at the Jack Hammet Sports Complex in Costa Mesa, California.
The Raiders will have their first practice on Wednesday. When they start practicing with the pads, we’ll see some development out of the young players on the roster and also separation among competing candidates for open positions and spots on the depth chart.
Aside from the quarterback battle, the Raiders have several roster questions to answer before Week 1 of the 2024 campaign. They will look for solutions at practices (they won’t have joint practices this year) and throughout the preseason.
As the Raiders ramp up for training camp, let’s examine their biggest roster questions for the remainder of the offseason.
Related: Las Vegas Raiders player abruptly retires at the young age of 28
Could defensive tackle Byron Young be a surprise cut?
Among players who could be surprise cuts, Byron Young may fit in that category if he doesn’t show flashes this summer. As a rookie last season, Young only played 99 defensive snaps and 13 snaps on special teams.
Remember, general manager Tom Telesco didn’t draft Young. He also spent big money on defensive tackle Christian Wilkins and re-signed veterans John Jenkins and Adam Butler.
According to The Athletic’s Vic Tafur, the Raiders still plan to move 2023 first-rounder Tyree Wilson inside in certain situations.
“His primary position is defensive end, but the coaching staff plans to rotate him inside to defensive tackle on passing downs,” Tafur wrote. “Wilson will still enter training camp firmly behind Crosby and Malcolm Koonce on the depth chart, but there remains room for him to become a significant contributor.”
If you count Wilson, Young may be the fifth defensive tackle on the depth chart on passing downs.
Well, what about early run downs?
Bleacher Report’s Matt Holder made a solid case that 6-3, 345-pound Marquan McCall could make the roster as a young nose tackle behind Jenkins.
When you add in Nesta Jade Silvera and Matthew Butler to the mix, Young isn’t a lock to make the initial 53-man roster and could land on the practice squad if McCall, Silvera or Butler stand out at training camp.
Related: Las Vegas Raiders: 5 training camp developments that would boost outlook of the 2024 season
Is rookie Jackson Powers-Johnson ready to start at left guard?
The Raiders will move Dylan Parham from right guard to left guard, which opens up a spot alongside left tackle Kolton Miller. The coaching staff can fill that void with a few options.
Rookie second-rounder Jackson Powers-Johnson could win the left guard job outright, which would be ideal because he can lock down the position for the foreseeable future. Because of the rookie’s nastiness in the trenches, many fans see a bit of Richie Incognito in his rugged play style.
Powers-Johnson will compete against 10th-year veteran Andrus Peat and ninth-year veteran Cody Whitehair for the spot. He also has to stay on the field.
Remember that Powers-Johnson only started for one full term as a center at Oregon. That year, he battled groin and hip injuries, which may be the reason for his minor slide to the second round in this year’s draft.
Powers-Johnson also suffered a hamstring injury that shortened his performance during Senior Bowl week.
Powers-Johnson also missed some time during organized team activities (OTAs) because of a shoulder injury, and the team has placed him on the physically unable to perform list, per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.
While Powers-Johnson has the ability to make an early contribution, he’s not a slam dunk to win the left guard job with minimal experience at the position and tough veteran competition for the job opening.
First and foremost, Powers-Johnson needs to stay healthy to put himself in position to start Week 1. The Raiders can remove him from the PUP list at any time before they finalize their initial 53-man roster.
Related: Las Vegas Raiders: 3 players under the most pressure ahead of 2024 training camp
Will Zamir White be the workhorse running back?
If you look at Zamir White’s body frame, he looks ready to carry the ball 20-25 times per game if necessary, though we know the league has changed regarding running back workloads.
In 2023, only one running back averaged more than 18 carries per game, Los Angeles Rams’ Kyren Williams. Josh Jacobs averaged 17.9 rush attempts per contest last year with the Raiders.
Based on White’s performances in the last four weeks of the previous campaign, averaging 99.3 yards per game and 4.7 yards per carry in that stretch, he’s set to lead the Raiders backfield in rush attempts.
That said, White made minimal gains as a pass-catcher last season, hauling in 15 passes for 98 yards, 6.5 yards per reception. Because he lacks the dynamic playmaking ability as a receiver, Alexander Mattison, whom the Raiders signed in the offseason, Ameer Abdullah and rookie sixth-rounder Dylan Laube will have opportunities to carve out a role on passing downs.
Moreover, as a backup behind Dalvin Cook with the Minnesota Vikings, Mattison ran more efficiently with fewer carries, averaging 4.6 and 4.5 yards per carry in his first two seasons.
By the way, under offensive coordinator Luke Getsy, the Chicago Bears had two running backs, Khalil Herbert and D’Onta Foreman, who averaged 11-12 rush attempts per game.
White could handle a large volume of carries, but he probably won’t have to do it because of the depth in the backfield. But if White has the hot hand in any game this year, Getsy should feed him the ball.
Related: Las Vegas Raiders: 3 candidates for most improved player on the roster in 2024
Is the No. 2 cornerback on the roster?
Before cornerback Steven Nelson retired, the Raiders showed interest in him, per KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson.
As training camp practices get underway, general manager Tom Telesco may take another look at the free-agent cornerback market. Stephon Gilmore and Adoree’ Jackson are the top two names to monitor in the coming weeks.
Xavien Howard faces allegations away from the field that may cause teams to hesitate about signing him. As the Los Angeles Chargers general manager, Telesco signed J.C. Jackson and that move turned into a disaster within two years.
Perhaps Telesco only had his eyes on Nelson as veteran insurance for an unsettled position on the boundary.
For now, second-year pro Jakorian Bennett and seventh-year pro Brandon Facyson will battle for the open cornerback spot. Rookies Decamerion Richardson (fourth round) and M.J. Devonshire (seventh round) could emerge as surprise contenders with strong performances at practices and in preseason games.
If none of the four cornerbacks look impressive before the Raiders’ first preseason outing against the Minnesota Vikings on August 10, Telesco could make a few phone calls to bring in another veteran.
Related: Las Vegas Raiders: 3 players who could transition from backup to starter during the 2024 season
Who wins the starting quarterback battle?
We all know the Raiders’ quarterback battle between Aidan O’Connell and Gardner Minshew will be the biggest storyline of the summer, and it’s been talked about since the team missed out on top prospects in the 2024 draft.
So, who wins the starting quarterback job?
Head coach Antonio Pierce says neither signal-caller has a lead in the competition, per The Athletic’s Tashan Reed.
“Pierce has been effusive in his support of O’Connell as the incumbent starter, but he made it clear that neither player has a leg up over the other at this point,” Reed wrote.
In an appearance on the Club Shay Shay podcast with NFL Hall of Famer Shannon Sharpe, star wide receiver Davante Adams preached patience with O’Connell and seems willing to see how the young quarterback develops in his second season (h/t Marcus Johnson of Tape Don’t Lie).
The Raiders signed Minshew to a two-year, $25 million contract with $15 million in guarantees, but he’s no stranger to spot starts or fill-in duty. Coming in for Anthony Richardson last season, he threw for 3,305 yards, 15 touchdowns, and nine interceptions with a 62.2 percent completion rate in 17 games (13 starts) with the Indianapolis Colts.
Minshew will likely have to outperform O’Connell by a clear margin to win the job. If it’s an even battle between the two, the Raiders may want to see how much upside O’Connell has in his early stages of development.
Also, note that the Raiders will play the Los Angeles Chargers in the season opener. O’Connell has played against several of the Chargers’ starting defenders in his first and best starts last year.
If O’Connell is confident about facing any team in Week 1, it’s probably the Chargers.
Maurice Moton covers the Las Vegas Raiders for Sportsnaut. You can follow him on Twitter at @MoeMoton.
