Time to answer some post-draft questions
Who will play where and who will make the team among inquiries
You can finally exhale, Raider Nation.
That long-awaited draft is over and the three first-round picks were on the field Friday for the start of minicamp, along with six other draftees and a host of undrafted free agents and rookie minicamp invitees.
Only 128 days until the season opener...
Let’s get to your mailbag questions for this week. To date, they’ve played Karl Joseph, more at SS, where I thought that he excelled at FS in college. With the drafting of Abram, do u c Joseph moving to FS? — @almustgo Certainly possible, especially if the Raiders want to go with five defensive backs and put Lamarcus Joyner in the slot. But I could also see Abram straight up taking Joseph’s playing time. Who do you think will get rookie of the year? We are going with Clelin Ferrell. — @HRRCVA In the entire NFL?! I’ll go with Josh Jacobs, especially after the news of Isaiah Crowell’s Achilles tear. Do you think gruden will open up the offense Alil more and have more deep shots. Or do you think the receiver are good enough to get yards after catch and that will open up the running game. — @BrooksH44 Definitely more deep shots. That’s why you add Tyrell Williams and J.J. Nelson. But the big-play capabilities of those two open things up underneath for Antonio Brown, Ryan Grant, Hunter Renfrow and Darren Waller, which in turn might open things up for Jacobs. Now that the draft is over, who will the Raiders be targeting in free agency to fill out holes? How much cap space do they have left? — @MarkSchremmer According to Over The Cap, the Raiders have a shade over $27.1 million in cap space, 10th-most in the league. A couple names I could see them targeting: linebacker Zach Brown, defensive end Ziggy Ansah, running back Jay Ajayi or edge rusher Shane Ray. Suh and Ansah worth kicking the tires on? What are the odds of @ MarquetteKing getting a camp invitation? — @MrM_7 Ansah, maybe. Suh, nah. And King ain’t getting a camp invitation. Jon Gruden doesn’t need that headache. Does Parker move inside to play G and are the Raiders done acquiring offensive line talent for the upcoming season? — @_Murf Brandon Parker will be a swing tackle this season. And I wouldn’t be surprised if they add more depth, but they have their starting five right now. Will Joseph be traded before season — @Raider_Familia I wouldn’t be shocked. How do u like Quinton Bell? — @ sleeepy44 Seems like a nice story out of Prairie View A&M. Strong kid. We’ll see if he makes the 53. Does Cotton win the starting G? Does WR Doss make the 53? — @OC37154926 An undrafted free agent (Lester Cotton Sr. from Alabama) isn’t winning a starting O-line spot. Denzelle Good will start, as of now. And Keelan Doss is well on the outside looking in among a crowded wide receivers room, but he’s an interesting one to watch. How is Eddie Vanderdoes doing? Do we think he will make the final roster? — @JerrySpoom He seemed to be moving well during OTAs in a video posted by Raiders. com. Will be an uphill battle with four guys ahead of him at defensive tackle in Mo Hurst, P.J. Hall, Johnathan Hankins and Justin Ellis, especially since he didn’t play last season. Are we really going to start Arden Key or Maxx Crosby opposite Clelin Ferrell? Both seem like passrush specialists at this point. Also, are we seriously going with Darren Waller as the primary receiving TE? I can’t imagine Foster Moreau contributing much this year, if at all. — @CrowJackson34 The answers to both questions is yes. Whose backing up Kolton Miller and can we really expect him to suddenly play much better this year? — @lilsnubby I expect a healthy Miller to be much better in Year 2. And a combination of David Sharpe and Parker will back him up. Any trade value for DeAndre Washington? — @wildvet89 Nope. Over/Under 8 sacks for Clelin Ferrell? — @R8R4LIFE Under. Have they announced the jersey numbers the rookies will be wearing? — @sdhill99 Clelin Ferrell - 96 Josh Jacobs - 28 Johnathan Abram - 24 Trayvon Mullen - 27 Maxx Crosby - 98 Isaiah Johnson - 31 Foster Moreau - 87 Hunter Renfrow - 13 Quinton Bell - 95 What do you think our biggest weakness is outside of LG? — @ Harry_Fa26 I don’t think left guard is even close to the biggest weakness because I think Gabe Jackson will play there. I’ll go tight end because Waller is very unproven. Which of the UDFAs do you think will stick and why ? — @uncletap34 It’s simply a wild guess at this point, but I’ll go Notre Dame linebacker Te’von Coney and Alabama guard Lester Cotton Sr. Do you think the Raiders are having the best offseason in the NFL so far? — @WilsonRock10 One of the best. The Browns and Ravens are right up there, too. Do you think Cotton, Doss , Coney and the fb all make the 53? — @GoRaiders19 Nope. Two of them, and even that might be too many. What is it about Te’von Coney that made him go undrafted? He’s ranked with the best? — @bobbyyorba Not sure, exactly. But he could be a nice surprise if he can crack the rotation in a crowded linebacker room.