Oakland Raiders: Analyzing the impact of Richie Incognito’s suspension

Newly-acquired Oakland Raiders guard Richie Incognito has been suspended for the first two games of the season. Here’s what that may mean for the team going forward.

When the Oakland Raiders signed former All-Pro offensive guard Richie Incognito a couple of months back, they were aware of an impending suspension that he would likely be forced to serve

And as expected, the NFL came down on Incognito this Friday handing him a two-game suspension for the start of the 2019 NFL season.

Again, this isn’t surprising and it shouldn’t exactly be considered news. That said, what is the Raiders contingency plan while Incognito serves his suspension? On top of that, what could his suspension mean for the team’s plans even after he returns to action?

For starters (no pun intended), the expected starter at left guard to begin the season is veteran Denzelle Good. Good was claimed off waivers from the Indianapolis Colts prior to Week 14 of last season.

The 28-year-old would go on to make four appearances with Oakland including three starts at right guard in place of the injured Gabe Jackson. Good showed enough promise last year that the Raiders decided to bring him back on a one-year extension in March.

In fact, before the late-May signing of Incognito, Good was slated to be the team’s starter.

While Incognito certainly offers more name-value and a much more successful pedigree, could Good usurp Incognito of his starting job?

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Incognito has taken pretty much all of the first-team reps so far in OTA’s and he’s expected to do so in training camp as well. Remember, Incognito is still eligible to participate in training camp in the preseason, just not when Week 1 rolls around.

The expectation is that it’s Incognito’s job to lose. But perhaps a strong preseason from Good and a successful first two contests could lead to a change of plans in Oakland. Incognito’s contract of just over $1 million isn’t guaranteed and the Raiders could cut him loose if the rust is too apparent.

Moreover, there’s no harm in keeping him aboard as excellent depth if Good continues to shine. Besides, injuries happen all the time in the NFL, especially to the offensive line.

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In fact, the Los Angeles Rams were the only team to have the same five starters start every game for the entirety of the season — and even into the postseason. Good has experience playing offensive tackle too and could easily slot in there if either Kolton Miller or Trent Brown goes down.

Finally, it’s likely that the Raiders will use the extra roster spot to carry an additional lineman on the 53-man for the time being. This could open up an opportunity for someone like undrafted Alabama guard Lester Cotton Sr. to make the final roster.

On the surface, Incognito’s two-game suspension doesn’t appear to be too much of a setback for the Raiders offensive line plans. But it does represent an opportunity for Good to prove his worth and perhaps even win the job.

That remains to be seen, but for now, it appears that the Raiders have options at guard. And that’s really all you could ask for at this time of the year.