One of the biggest strengths of the Las Vegas Raiders is their offensive line as they return all five starters from a year ago in addition to adding some valuable depth pieces.
The addition of Trent Brown last offseason, in particular, was a great one as he signed a record-breaking contract for an offensive tackle in free agency and immediately lived up to the hype, being named to a Pro Bowl in his first season with the Raiders.
Brown was limited to 11 games due to a pectoral injury, however, and it appears he is now dealing with another injury to begin training camp this year. According to Paul Gutierrez of ESPN, Brown has missed the first five practices with an undisclosed injury, giving veteran free-agent addition Sam Young an extended opportunity:
Trent Brown missed his fifth straight practice Monday and coach Jon Gruden said Brown “should be out in a few days” but did not elaborate on his issue. Eleventh-year veteran Sam Young has played RT in Brown’s absence. “He’s a salty veteran,” Gruden said of Young. “He’s an experienced swing tackle. He’s played tight end at times. He’s a pro football player and he’s going to compete for the third tackle job and right now he’s making a good impression.”
It is a bit strange that the Raiders are not disclosing what sort of injury Brown is dealing with. The season is still a month away though, so it is not yet time to panic.
Young has 10 years of NFL experience, appearing in 92 games and starting 21 of them. He was one of a few veteran offensive linemen the Raiders brought in to bring some depth, although it looks like he may be higher on the depth chart than originally expected.
David Sharpe saw time in Brown’s absence last year and is still on the team, which makes it a little surprising that he isn’t getting those extra reps with the starters.
What this does show though is that while the Raiders have depth issues at a handful of positions, which could cause issues in 2020, the offensive line certainly isn’t one of them.
