The regular season is almost here as the Las Vegas Raiders will wrap up the preseason against the Arizona Cardinals on Saturday. Then, Tuesday is cutdown day for the NFL, where the Raiders will have their 53-man roster set, and we play the waiting game until September 7! But first, we have this week’s mailbag to get to.
Q: Given the play of Aidan O’Connell and Cam Miller through the first two pre-season games, I am worried about the Raiders’ QB2 position. I know it’s late in the year, but do you think
we should consider acquiring a QB2 via trade or FA?
A: I think the backup quarterback spot is a small concern. In my opinion, O’Connell played better against San Francisco, looking at the majority of his throws. But the interception was terrible, and it feels like he can’t avoid making the one crucial mistake when he’s out there. Plus, throwing three picks against backups isn’t exactly comforting.
Additionally, I thought Miller looked good in Seattle to potentially push O’Connell. However, the rookie was bad last week, also throwing an interception, and it seems like he’s just not ready yet. That’s fine for his long-term projection, but it doesn’t offer much comfort for the QB2 spot this year.
I wouldn’t be surprised if the Raiders pay close attention to who gets cut next week, monitoring the Browns’, the Giants’ and the Chargers’ situations, just to name a few teams. Kenny Pickett, Jameis Winston or Taylor Heinicke/Trey Lance could become available after cutdown day as a few noteworthy options. Throw Case Keenum in there too, since the Bears just extended Tyson Bagent.
As far as current free agents go, Carson Wentz, C.J. Beathard and Jeff Driskel are the top three available, in my opinion. So, the pickings are slim.
All that being said, I don’t think O’Connell is a bad backup option. But I also think he needs to have a good outing on Saturday to ease some concerns.
A: If the Titans are willing to trade for O’Connell, I’d hear them out at the very least. I’d be concerned about what the plan is for a backup quarterback, since Miller is a rookie making the jump from FCS to the NFL and could use a year to sit before getting thrown into the fire. But I’ll take draft picks for a guy who likely won’t be on the roster after 2026, anyway.
If O’Connell does get dealt, look for one of the quarterbacks mentioned above (or someone else) to be on the front office’s radar. One other name I’ll throw in there is Kyle Trask. John Spytek was in Tampa Bay when the Buccaneers drafted Trask in the second round, and the Bucs signed Teddy Bridgewater at the beginning of training camp. So, Trask could be a potential trade target.
Q: I really haven’t heard anything about Malcolm Koonce’s progress after his injury, haven’t heard his name mentioned on plays during the first two pre-season games. He’s made one tackle in each game. But how was he doing through training camp and practices? Is he making an impact during practice/scrimmage games?
A: There hasn’t been much talk about Koonce in training camp, and he hasn’t looked the same in the two preseason games, lacking some of the burst off the line he showed in 2023. Recently, Pete Carroll even said it looks like Koone has taken some time to get back to his old self.
“It’s taken him a little while to feel that he’s back,” Carroll of the pass-rusher said on August 20. “He came out here and ready to go, and he missed so much in the offseason that he was disappointed in. … I think it took him time to realize he’s okay and he’s in great shape. It’s often with injuries, particularly lower leg injuries in knees and ankles and all that, you got to believe that it’s okay, and sometimes you have to prove it.”
ESPN’s Ryan McFadden recently dove into Koonce’s role this season, outlining that the Raiders are going to be counting on him a lot this fall. McFadden’s article can shed some more light on the situation.
A: We’re on the same page with Tyree Wilson’s role, where he lines up as a base end on run downs and slides inside in passing situations. He made a handful of good plays in those two spots last week, so it looks like that’s how the coaching staff is planning on using him this season.
Especially if Koonce isn’t 100 percent yet, I kind of like a defensive line with Maxx Crosby, Adam Butler, Jonah Laulu/Thomas Booker IV (or whoever is the other starting DT) and Wilson as the starters or the early down unit. Then, Koonce can come in on passing situations while Wilson moves inside and Laulu/Booker subs out.
Q: Linebackers who can excel both against the run and defend against the pass (Fred Warner, Zack Baun) effectively are athletic unicorns. Schematically, I’m assuming this is precisely the reason the Raiders utilize a 4-2-5 defense. All of that being said, why can’t the Raiders find/draft/develop a linebacker who can, at the very least, situationally defend against the pass efficiently? Why can’t we have nice things?
A: I’ve been wondering the same thing—on the linebackers and why the Raiders can’t have nice things—for a while, too, lol.
However, I will say that while Robert Spillane was never known for his coverage skills, he was at least servicable as an underneath defender in zone coverage. Spillane made several plays on the ball in Las Vegas, coming up with five interceptions and 11 passes defended in two seasons. That’s not bad for a run-defending linebacker, and we could see a similar type of role/production from Germaine Pratt if Pratt can return to his 2022 form, when he had two picks and 10 PDs.
As far as drafting and developing linebackers, the trend around the league in recent years is to take a chance on athletes who need a year or two to put some weight on and be better run defenders. The Raiders tried that with Divine Deablo, but Deablo was a college safety who was switching positions, which added an extra element to his development.
In my opinion, the best way to get a complete linebacker (besides finding one of the unicorns you mentioned) is to draft a good athlete who played the position in college, and then give them a year or two to spend time in the weight room and develop their ability to take on blocks.
Q: Why hasn’t the coaching staff given Amari Gainer more of a chance versus Tommy Eichenberg and Matt Jones?
A: Eichenberg has played better than most people realize, especially last week. He’s shown a lot of growth from last season, so I think the coaching staff likes him as a backup/potential starter down the road. Jones is the one I don’t get, based on what he’s shown in the preseason. However, he has apparently been better in practice than in the games, according to the Las Vegas Review-Journal’s Vincent Bonsignore.
I wish I had a better answer for you on Gainer; other than I don’t think he fits the Pete Carroll mold at linebacker.
Gainer has only had six defensive snaps in the preseason, per Pro Football Focus, which is a strong indication that he’s getting cut. Carroll typically likes linebackers who have a thick build, and Gainer is more lanky at 6-foot-3 and 232 pounds. For comparison, Eichenberg is only a couple of pounds heavier than Gainer, but he’s an inch shorter to have a more compact and stout build.
Q: Is Ian Thomas a lock to make the team? Whether or not he is, what other tight ends might make the team beyond Brock Bowers and Michael Mayer?
A: “Lock” might be a little strong, but I’d be surprised if Thomas doesn’t make the roster.
Carter Runyon is an interesting tight end to keep tabs on. He’s had five catches for 62 yards in the first two preseason games and is a solid blocker. It’s more likely that Runyon ends up on the practice squad, but he could be a sneaky pick to make the roster next Tuesday with a good performance in Arizona.
Q: Why all the love for Zeus? I’m not seeing it. I’d keep Dylan Laube and Chris Collier, along with Ashton Jeanty and Raheem Mostert. How about you?
A: That’s another one I don’t quite get, either. I think the staff likes Zamir White as the downhill/power back to complement Mostert as the perimeter run/speed back.
But if it were up to me, I’d keep Jeanty, Mostert, Laube and Sincere McCormick at running back. It was a small sample size last year, but McCormick was really impressive with his vision and natural running skills. It seems like he’s going to get cut, which is unfortunate because I think he has the potential to be a well-rounded back.
Q: I’m pretty impressed with Dalton Wagner this year. Any chance he beats out Thayer Munford (who doesn’t appear to have improved) for the swing tackle position?
A: Wagner is an impressive run blocker but struggles in pass protection, earning a 2.4 PFF grade (your eyes aren’t deceiving you, that’s two-point-four, not 24) last week. He also turns 27 in October, so I have a hard time seeing him make the team.
I completely agree that Munford doesn’t look like he’s gotten any better this year. The problem is the Raiders are young at offensive tackle, and Charles Grant, who was drafted as a project, isn’t ready to be thrown into the fire. So, I’d imagine Munford has a roster spot because the coaching staff doesn’t want to only have inexperienced tackles to turn to if Kolton Miller or DJ Glaze get injured.
Q: Who do you want for the Raiders’ 5th or 6th receiver? I like #4.
A: I know Tommy Mellott hasn’t done much in the preseason, but I’d be a little surprised if he doesn’t make the team. Mellott offers special teams value, and special teams coordinator Tom McMahon was a big fan of his game during the draft process. McMahon is a good guy to have in your corner if you’re on the roster bubble.
For that sixth spot, I’m with you on Shedrick Jackson with how he played against the Seahawks. I think it will come down to Jackson, Alex Bachman and Collin Johnson. Saturday night could be the deciding factor.
A: I think Isaiah Pola-Mao has potential, but he worries me as the starting free safety. Pola-Mao isn’t reliable in man coverage, which isn’t a requirement for a free safety, but the tackling issues are a problem. We’ll see how it works out, but I share your concerns about the secondary, and Pola-Mao is included in that.
The defensive backfield is a collection of a lot of young, talented players who need time to develop. However, a lot of those guys are going to be thrown into starting roles. As a result, the Raiders could have a hard time defending the pass this season.
That’ll do it for this week’s mailbag. Thank you all for submitting questions and, as your weekly reminder, if you’d like to have your questions answered in a future column, tweet them at me, @MHolder95, email them to SBPQuestions1@gmail.com or look for our weekly call for questions on the site. The latter will continue to publish on Thursdays.
