Like every NFL team, the Las Vegas Raiders have multiple question marks heading into training camp, but their uncertainties will generate headlines.
The Raiders hope to see key players on both sides of the ball return from foot injuries. On top of that, they have a fluid contract situation with their lead running back. Moreover, the team has a few starting roles up for grabs with young players in their rookie, second and third years looking to make an impact.
Oh, and how could we forget the trade rumors swirling around one of Vegas’ top wide receivers?
Because of all these storylines, the Raiders will have an intriguing training camp stretch through August.
Let’s take an early look at how all of this could pan out with the most important question at each position.
Quarterback: Will Jimmy Garoppolo be ready for camp?
Head coach Josh McDaniels doesn’t seem concerned about Jimmy Garoppolo’s foot injury.
According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, Garoppolo should be ready for the start of training camp, barring any setbacks:
With that said, considering Garoppolo’s injury history, the Raiders may ease him into physical activity. He’s just about four months removed from foot surgery.
Garoppolo knows the offensive system from his time in New England. Yet he must get acquainted with a new group of pass-catchers after six seasons with the San Francisco 49ers.
Garoppolo should click instantly with three-time All-Pro wide receiver Davante Adams, but Jakobi Meyers, Hunter Renfrow (if he isn’t traded), Tre Tucker, Michael Mayer and Austin Hooper don’t have the same elite skill level and need quality time with their new quarterback. Vegas needs its new signal caller back on the field as soon as possible.
Running back: Will Josh Jacobs get an extension?
General manager Dave Ziegler hasn’t said much about progress in contract negotiations with his lead running back. Over the past few weeks, Jacobs has posted a couple of vague tweets that made fans a bit nervous though.
If Vegas doesn’t sign Jacobs to a multiyear contract before the July 17 deadline for franchise-tagged players, he may threaten to sit out the 2023 season without a deal. Keep in mind that Jacobs has yet to sign his $10.1 million franchise tender.
That being said, the running back market doesn’t seem to be on an upward trend anytime soon. Next offseason, top-tier players at the position may face the same issue with a depressed market. As of now, two-time Pro Bowler Saquon Barkley hasn’t signed his franchise tender either, and four-time Pro Bowl running back Dalvin Cook is a free agent.
Jacobs seems better off betting on himself and playing with the franchise tag if the Raiders don’t meet his contractual demands.
Wide receiver: Is Hunter Renfrow going to be traded or not?
Renfrow has probably heard his name in the rumor mill since February, but he’ll likely remain a Raider heading into training camp.
According to The Athletic’s Tashan Reed, Renfrow hasn’t generated much trade interest and “nothing is imminent” in regard to a possible transaction.
Nonetheless, teams across the league deal with attrition in the form of injuries once players participate in padded practices. Even though Renfrow has a fully guaranteed salary for the 2023 campaign, he still has a manageable $13.1 million cap number for a receiver-needy team that’s eager to work something out with his contract.
With Meyers, Tucker and DeAndre Carter on the roster, Renfrow isn’t likely to see a consistent number of targets in the upcoming campaign, which makes him an expendable player between now and the 2023 trade deadline in November.
Tight end: Who wins the starting job?
This offseason, the Raiders revamped their tight end room. They traded Darren Waller to the New York Giants and allowed Foster Moreau to sign elsewhere in free agency. To replace them, the club signed Hooper and O.J. Howard then selected Mayer in the second round of the draft.
Back-end roster holdovers Jesper Horsted and Cole Fotheringham have an uphill climb to see significant playing time behind a couple of veterans and an early-round draft pick.
According to Reed, Mayer missed time during mandatory minicamp because of undisclosed reasons. Nonetheless, the rookie’s recent absence shouldn’t stop him from taking on a big role in McDaniels’ tight-end friendly offense.
With the willingness to block and the hands to immediately contribute to the passing game, Mayer will likely split snaps with Hooper at the beginning of the season and then see a steady increase in his role thereafter.
Related: NFL offense rankings
Offensive line: Who wins the starting spot at right guard?
For now, Alex Bars seems slated to hold on to his starting spot at right guard with Greg Van Roten and Netane Muti as viable competitors for the position unless Jermaine Eluemunor loses his spot to Thayer Munford Jr. or Brandon Parker at right tackle.
Assuming Eluemunor holds on to his starting job, the Raiders should sign another guard. Dalton Risner would be an upgrade over Bars, who allowed 38 pressures and five sacks last season, per Pro Football Focus.
Risner could play left guard, which would allow Dylan Parham to shift over to right guard where he played his standout senior campaign at Memphis, earning first-team All-American Athletic Conference honors.
Defensive line: Can Tyree Wilson show early flashes?
Garoppolo isn’t the only Raider with a foot issue. Tyree Wilson underwent surgery on his foot last November, which has kept him on the sideline through mandatory minicamp. However, he expects to participate at training camp.
Of course, fans will want to see and hear good news about Wilson’s development from the minute he steps on the field, but that’s not a realistic expectation. The Texas Tech product will need to shake off some rust after about eight months of football inactivity.
We shouldn’t be surprised if Wilson works with trainers on the sideline while his teammates go full throttle in pads through the first week of training camp. The Raiders will likely err on the side of caution with patience as their first-round pick catches up to speed on the practice field.
Linebacker: Is Divine Deablo ready to lead the defense?
During spring practices, Divine Deablo looked different with added muscle and stood out as the lead linebacker for Patrick Graham’s defense. He wore the green dot on his helmet, which indicates that the coaching staff trusts him to relay calls to his teammates.
Deablo sounds like he’s more comfortable in Graham’s system.
Vegas needs Deablo to take a third-year leap because the team didn’t invest a lot in the linebacker position in free agency or the draft. The Raiders signed a downhill thumper in Robert Spillane to a two-year, $7 million deal. They waited until the sixth round of the draft to address the position and selected Amari Burney, who’s a former safety.
Even if Deablo looks the part of a quality starter, the Raiders should add a linebacker in case they lose their lead man to an injury. If available, Patrick Queen and Isaiah Simmons should be atop Vegas’ list of linebacker trade targets.
Cornerback: Who will start in nickel formation?
The Raiders will see the most intense position battles at cornerback this summer.
According to The Athletic’s Vic Tafur and Reed, the Raiders “seem likely to sign veteran cornerback Marcus Peters before training camp.”
If Peters joins Vegas’ young secondary, Brandon Facyson, Duke Shelley, David Long Jr. and rookie fourth-rounder Jakorian Bennett would battle for the other spot on the boundary.
Tafur dropped an interesting nugget about the slot cornerback battle.
“Hobbs wants to return to nickelback after he had a rocky season primarily lining up outside last year, but Hall will push him,” Tafur wrote.
Nate Hobbs has the clear edge in experience over Tyler Hall for the nickel spot, but if the former wins that battle, someone must step up on the perimeter. Facyson may be the guy. Remember, he led the Raiders with 13 pass breakups in 2021 under the club’s former defensive coordinator, Gus Bradley.
Safety: Is the group lacking a veteran’s presence?
Last season, Vegas’ best safety was its oldest player at the position. In his age-31 campaign, Duron Harmon registered a team-leading 86 solo tackles, two forced fumbles, five pass breakups, two interceptions and a pick-six.
The Raiders needed Harmon’s veteran presence as the last line of defense on the back end, but they didn’t retain him. Instead, the club signed Marcus Epps and selected Chris Smith II in the fifth round of the draft.
Last year with the Philadelphia Eagles, Epps struggled in certain passing situations, allowing six touchdowns and a 139.1 passer rating in coverage.
Coming out of Georgia, Smith isn’t an athletic defender, but he can see the field from the deep safety position and frequently positions himself to make plays on the football. The former Bulldog can also strike with great tackling angles in the box.
Ideally, Smith shows early signs of starting potential as a fit alongside third-year pro Tre’von Moehrig, which allows the Raiders to roll with a young safety duo. If not, Epps may be stretched too thin in coverage or Harmon may get a call for a return to Vegas.
Maurice Moton covers the Raiders for Sportsnaut. You can follow him on Twitter at @MoeMoton.