Oakland Raiders: Five players to watch in preseason opener with the Lions
By Kevin Saito
Right Tackle
The situation at left tackle will get sorted out one way or another. What we should be concerned with is the situation at right tackle.
With a mixture of guys like Breno Giacomini, Jylan Ware, David Sharpe, Ian Silberman, and Brandon Parker all vying for snaps, it’s a situation that should be a little concerning – after all, a sack coming off the right side is just as effective as a sack coming off the left.
And for years now, that right tackle spot has been a revolving door that hasn’t had one good, solid body able to fill it. The right side has been the line’s weakest link for a while now.
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In an ideal world, Donald Penn would show up, man the left side (and be just as effective as he’s always been), and the rookie first-round pick would get a year to learn on the right side. That configuration, along with one of the most dominant interior lines in the game, could actually be the very best in the league – by a pretty wide margin.
But, we don’t know if Penn is actually going to come back, given the team is asking him to take a pay cut. Or, if he does, whether he’s going to be as effective as he’s been in making the Pro Bowl in consecutive seasons.
What we do know right now, is that the rookie will be lining up on Carr’s blindside, and the right side of that line will once again be a big question mark – a question mark that doesn’t have a clear cut answer at this point.