Every offseason brings questions that need answers. For this Raiders team, they may have more questions than answers. Some of these questions are no small thing.
Last week the Raiders wrapped up their offseason practices with their three-day mandatory minicamp. That means they have now entered the longest and final portion of the offseason. The next time these players convene will be training camp at the end of July.
They enter this six weeks with many things unsettled. Most of which will still be unsettled when camp begins, giving them a lot to think about over the next six weeks.
Will Jimmy Garoppolo be healthy?
There is no more pressing question on this team than whether their new starting quarterback is going to be ready for the season. He has yet to set foot on the practice field after having had surgery shortly after signing with the team on a Lisfranc foot injury he suffered last season. The team is hopeful he will be ready for camp, but just to be certain, they protected themselves by adding an injury clause in his contract that stipulates they can cut him at any time without having to pay him.
While that seems far-fetched – and it probably is – there is still, at very least, the possibility he misses part of training camp. Not ideal when you’re trying to get used to your new teammates and them get used to you. And past that there was always the question of whether he would be able to stay healthy. Something with which he’s long had issues.
The next man up is journeyman backup Brian Hoyer followed by rookie fourth round pick Aidan O’Connell.
What is the status of Josh Jacobs and his unsigned franchise tag?
The only player who was not at least in the building for minicamp was Jacobs. That’s because he is not under contract. And that’s because he has yet to sign his franchise tender. It isn’t uncommon for players to wait to sign their franchise tenders as they await to see if they can get a long term deal instead. But so long as it is unsigned, there’s also always the possibility of a holdout and Jacobs refusing to play under the tag.
That possibility looms for now and could continue for another month or so at least. Late July is when the deadline comes up for him to sign it. He is the reigning rushing title holder so his status is a pretty big deal.
Will they keep Hunter Renfrow?
Ever since the team drafted Tre Tucker in the third round (100 overall) in April’s draft, the thinking has been that Renfrow could be moved. The Pro Bowl slot receiver signed a two-year extension prior to last season and represents over $13 million against the cap this season.
While it may seem odd that Josh McDaniels – who enjoyed the talents of the likes of Wes Welker and Danny Amendola for years in New England – would want to ship out his new slot machine, keep in mind Derek Carr is gone now and he and Renfrow were very close.
Who will be TE2?
Jumping up in the top of the second round, the Raiders got possibly the best tight end in this year’s draft in Michael Mayer. He instantly becomes the top tight end on the team after they traded away Darren Waller this offseason. The question is who lines up on the other side of him.
Prior to landing Mayer, it was Austin Hooper who had the inside track on the number one tight end job. But Hooper is not really known for being a great blocker and typically the number two tight end should excel as a blocker.
The other top candidate for the number two tight end job is OJ Howard. The 28-year-old former first round pick put up some decent receiving numbers his first three NFL seasons, but hasn’t cracked 150 yards in any of the past three seasons with the Bucs and Texans.
What do they do about the right side of the offensive line?
This could be multiple questions all by itself, but the answer isn’t so simple. In fact, they appear to be in the same predicament they were in last offseason.
The right tackle job looks to be between Jermaine Eluemunor, Thayer Munford, and Brandon Parker. Should Eluemunor not win that job, he would enter the mix at right guard.
Alex Bars returns after starting most of last season at right guard, but not doing all that well at it. If he wins the job again, that isn’t great news. Contenders for the job are veteran addition Greg Van Roten, former Broncos’ practice squad signee Netane Muti, and undrafted rookie McClendon Curtis.
