Oakland Raiders: 3 Things to watch in Preseason Week 2

The Oakland Raiders will play their second game of the preseason on Saturday against the Rams. What should we be watching for from the Silver and Black?

On Saturday afternoon, the Oakland Raiders will continue their 2018 preseason action as they travel south in their home state to face off with the Los Angeles Rams. The Raiders opened the preseason with a win over the Detroit Lions last week, but there is still plenty left to see from this team.

With it being the second week of the preseason, we’ll likely see more of the starters and more from players who will play pivotal roles for the Raiders when the regular season rolls around. As such, fans will be given a better glimpse of what they can expect from this team in their first season with head coach Jon Gruden back at the helm.

With that in mind, let’s take a look at three things for Raiders fans to watch out for in Week 2 of the preseason.

How will Arden Key perform in his debut?

Yes, the ghost of Khalil Mack still hangs over the Raiders at this point as they still look to get a contract done. However, the immediate effect is that he’s still not with the team, and that means other guys will be given opportunities on defense. On Saturday night, that likely means that rookie edge rusher Arden Key will get his first taste of pro football.

Key’s character issues and some concerns about his size caused him to fall tremendously in the draft, but he was considered a top-10 type talent at the start of last season. He’ll have the chance to show why that was once the case in Oakland, especially with Mack out. If he can come out and make an impact as a pass rusher against the Rams, he could wind up being a massive steal for Oakland in this 2018 draft class.

Does Ryan Switzer have a place in the rotation?

The decision to trade Jihad Ward for Ryan Switzer in the thralls of the 2018 NFL Draft made sense for both the Raiders and the Cowboys. For Oakland’s part, they hadn’t seen the return on their investment in Ward and needed to add more talent of Switzer’s ilk at wide receiver. As such, his arrival made most believe that he would be a big addition as both a slot receiver and return-man.

Throughout training camp and the one week of the preseason though, Switzer has not yet separated himself from the likes of Griff Whalen in either regard. Put simply, the former North Carolina Tar Heel has been pedestrian at best, even with a touchdown in the win over Detroit last week. On Saturday, he has to do more than just find the end zone (though doing so again wouldn’t hurt) and be a consistent performer in every facet that he’s asked to play in.

Is Marquel Lee actually the answer at inside linebacker?

Second-year linebacker Marquel Lee looked to be much improved from one season ago last week in the Raiders’ preseason opener. The inside linebacker was all over the field making plays, recording six tackles and making an impact even when he wasn’t bringing down the man with the ball. This is obviously huge for him solidifying his role on the team, but even bigger of a deal for Oakland.

This position has been an eyesore for this team over the past few years, affecting a lackluster defense in even more negative ways. If Lee can continue to perform as he did in Week 1 of the preseason, that could be less the case in the 2018 season. We’ll have to see if that performance in the win over the Lions was a flash or a preview of what’s to come.