One of the biggest holes on the roster for the Raiders going into the 2022 offseason is at right tackle. The Raiders were hopeful that 2021 first-round pick Alex Leatherwood would lock down that spot, but they quickly moved him to right guard after a few rough games at tackle.
With Leatherwood likely staying at guard, the Raiders will be in the market for a right tackle again this offseason. Many expect them to use a top pick to address the position, but is there a veteran out there that might be available as a stop-gap solution?
In a recent article by The Athletic, they named a player from each team that could be a cap casualty this offseason. One player that was mentioned was Marcus Cannon of the Houston Texans. Here is what Aaron Reiss had to say about the possibility of the Texans moving on from Cannon:
“After being acquired in a trade from the Patriots, Cannon started just four games before landing on injured reserve with a back injury. Cannon was solid in those four starts at right tackle, but at 33 years old, he comes with durability concerns.
He opted out of the 2020 season and missed much of training camp and the offseason program last year. Releasing him in the final year of his contract is one of the most efficient and practical ways the Texans can create cap space outside of trades involving quarterback Deshaun Watson and left tackle Laremy Tunsil.”
As Reiss mentioned, Cannon is a former Patriots player who started 69 games at right tackle for the team. He had some of the best seasons of his career under Josh McDaniels as the offensive coordinator.
While Cannon is older and has some injury concerns, he would be the perfect mentor to a rookie. If needed, he could be the Day 1 starter for the Raiders on the right side until the rookie gets up to speed.
Time will tell if the Texans do decide to release Cannon, but look for the Raiders to be interested if that does happen.
