Oakland Raiders: Five Camp Battles That Will Be Worth Watching

The Fight At Right Tackle

The Raiders are going to have a fierce and imposing offensive line this season. It is being talked about as a real strength for this team – a very nice departure from all of the seasons where it’s been an absolute weakness. Some are even projecting Oakland’s mammoth offensive line to be the best in the league – surpassing even the Cowboys.

Now, obviously all of that talk needs to be backed up and proven on the field, but they’re certainly off to a good start. With Donald Penn, Kelechi Osemele, Rodney Hudson, and Gabe Jackson forming the human wall that will give Derek Carr the protection he needs to dissect defenses as well as blow open holes big enough for Latavius Murray and Deandre Washington to power through, Oakland’s line has the potential to be dominant.

The one question mark about this unit though is, who will be taking the snaps at right tackle? Obviously, the biggest fight in camp – and we’re not talking weight-wise here – is brewing between Menelik Watson and Austin Howard.

Watson of course, was a promising prospect when the Raiders drafted him back in 2013. Though he hasnt’ proven to be dominant, it’s hard to call him a bust – he only picked up the game of football in 2011. But last season, he was really beginning to show some improvement to his game. He seemed on the verge of fulfilling the expectations that made him a second round pick.

And then he tore his Achilles tendon during the third preseason game, ending his year.

Austin Howard is one of GM Reggie McKenzie‘s higher priced imports (five years, $30 million) from 2014 and the reviews of his performance have been decidedly mixed. Though, those reviews mostly came from his time playing guard. When the Raiders moved him back out to tackle, Howard’s performance began to improve.

With Howard at right tackle, Oakland’s offensive line began to improve dramatically – Pro Football Focus ranked Oakland’s offensive line as the sixth best in the league last season. But in December, Howard sustained a knee injury that cost him the last few games of the season.

With big things expected of Oakland’s revamped offensive line, Watson and Howard will be fighting a fierce battle to lock down that final spot on the right side. Both showed tremendous potential last season and were looking good – this should be a good fight for position, and whoever ends up winning that job, is going to be the final piece on a very, very good line.

Next: The Clipboard Bowl