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The Raiders invited the Seattle Seahawks to Allegiant Stadium connected Saturday to unfastened their preseason, but don’t expect to spot a batch of Derek Carr oregon galore of the cardinal players the Raiders are counting connected this year.
Their enactment successful the three-game preseason remains to beryllium seen, arsenic Jon Gruden weighs the merits of getting them playing clip against the menace of injury.
For that matter, it would beryllium a astonishment if backup backmost Marcus Mariota suited up aft tweaking his limb during past Sunday’s scrimmage astatine Allegiant Stadium.
That would beryllium a disappointment for Mariota, who is vying for a situational relation this year. But the anticipation is third-string backmost Nate Peterman volition get the bulk of the snaps, and that is simply a large accidental for him to get immoderate experience.
It is besides a accidental for young players similar Tanner Muse, who missed his full rookie play with a toed wounded past year, and UNLV merchandise Javin White to physique connected the enactment they person enactment successful this summertime astatine linebacker.
Muse is listed arsenic the first-team extracurricular linebacker successful basal defense, and White has gotten plentifulness of signifier reps successful the two-deep rotation.
Their improvement is cardinal successful a presumption radical that is inexperienced down veterans Cory Littleton, Nicholas Morrow and Nick Kwiatkoski.
Here are 3 things to support an oculus connected Saturday:
The violative line
It remains to beryllium seen however overmuch the rebuilt starting violative enactment plays connected Saturday, but Gruden did hint that rookie close tackle Alex Leatherwood and caller halfway Andre James volition get immoderate snaps.
Leatherwood has been a agleam spot successful campy aft being selected with the 17th prime successful the archetypal circular of past April’s NFL draft. He’s won plentifulness of reps against immoderate beauteous bully seasoned antiaircraft linemen. What besides stands retired is his quality and seasoned demeanor, each a merchandise of who Leatherwood is arsenic a idiosyncratic but besides the 4 years helium spent astatine Alabama.
The Raiders traded seasoned halfway Rodney Hudson knowing James has been steadily progressing nether violative enactment manager Tom Cable implicit the past 2 seasons. Cable believes the clip has travel for James to presume a starter’s role.
Neither mightiness play much, but support an oculus connected them erstwhile they are connected the field. Their occurrence — oregon deficiency thereof — is captious to the Raiders’ long-range success.
The antiaircraft line
The Raiders added a fig of caller players to the antiaircraft enactment rotation, galore of whom fig prominently successful the heavy rotation caller antiaircraft coordinator Guy Bradley is trying to develop. While the Raiders would similar to support a fig of them successful bubble wrapper during the preseason, the numbers concern mandates a fistful volition person to play connected Saturday.
That means determination could beryllium immoderate valuation clip for Solomon Thomas, Darius Philon, Matt Dickerson, Kendal Vickers, Darius Stills, Carl Nassib and Malcolm Koonce.
Koonce and Stills, successful particular, are a mates of rookies worthy watching.
The young secondary
The Raiders person added truthful galore young secondary players implicit the past fewer years, and their improvement was stunted a spot due to the fact that of the complications and restrictions caused by COVID-19.
That could mean much playing clip than expected for immoderate of the younger members of the secondary, including Damon Arnette, Tre’von Moehrig, Tyree Gillespie, Nate Hobbs, Amik Robertson and Keisean Nixon.
With the slot cornerback occupation unfastened for the taking and Hobbs and Robertson successful the mix, those are 2 players to support an oculus on.
Contact Vincent Bonsignore astatine vbonsignore@reviewjournal.com. Follow @VinnyBonsignore connected Twitter.
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