Although the bye week was supposed to serve as another fresh start for the Oakland Raiders, they are still dealing with their fair share of issues on offense entering their Week 7 matchup with the Green Bay Packers.
Right tackle Trent Brown has been accused of domestic violence against his ex-girlfriend and is now in the midst of dealing with a lawsuit. Although the Raiders are now understandably doing their due diligence on the matter, it remains to be seen whether or not his immediate status is in jeopardy.
The situation with Brown leaves him subject to potentially face discipline from the league later in the 2019 NFL season. For now, he is focused on getting back to full health.
Head coach Jon Gruden says Brown was unable to practice due to a calf injury, via Vic Tafur of The Athletic
Gruden said Trent Brown has a calf strain; team is aware of civil lawsuit and is looking into it
— Vic Tafur (@VicTafur) October 16, 2019
Gruden also gave an update on wide receiver Tyrell Williams, who is dealing with a foot injury that doesn’t appear to be getting better:
Gruden said Tyrell Williams has plantar fasciitis and it’s not getting much better
— Vic Tafur (@VicTafur) October 16, 2019
Gruden’s update on Williams is hardly an encouraging one. He has been sidelined since suffering the injury during their Week 4 win against the Indianapolis Colts and it appears that he has not been able to make much progress.
Unless Williams is able to make a significant leap in his recovery, it seems he will not be back to 100% by the time their matchup with the Packers rolls around. There is no question that his absence would undoubtedly deal a crushing blow to quarterback Derek Carr‘s arsenal in a Raiders passing game that is already notably depleted.
It is no secret that Oakland has had some trouble with their depth in the receiving corps dating back to the offseason. Carr will now be forced to make do with a group headlined by new acquisitions in wide receivers Zay Jones and Trevor Davis.
Meanwhile, Oakland will likely continue to monitor the legal situation with Brown while doing what they can to ensure his health. This offensive line is close to returning to full strength now that right guard Gabe Jackson is back in the mix and Gruden would love nothing more than to further amplify his run game.
Unfortunately, there is now plenty of uncertainty regarding Brown’s potential status both on and off the field.
