Oakland Raiders: Biggest takeaways from Week 1 of OTAs

Brandon Parker’s Potential Chance to Start

During the offseason, offensive lineman Brandon Parker spent time with guard Gabe Jackson in Mississippi. The 2018 third-rounder had a rough rookie term, allowing 8.5 sacks, per Washington Post‘s STATs. According to Tafur, he reported to OTAs at 330 pounds — that’s up from 305 pounds last year.

The Raiders signed Brown to a four-year, $66 million deal — the richest contract for an offensive lineman in history. He’s going to play right tackle — where Parker lined up last year.

With Kolton Miller locked into the left tackle spot, it seems the Raiders subtly admit Parker isn’t fit to develop into a starting right tackle going into his sophomore season. Teams can pick up swing tackles on Day 3 of drafts or sign experienced veterans for the role. If a club uses a third-round pick on a backup tackle that’s a selection with poor value.

In an ideal scenario, Miller and Brown are the long-term bookend starters on the offensive line. Where does that leave Parker? Gruden tossed out a teaser during his open media conference.

"I think we commented earlier that he spent most of the offseason living with Gabe [Jackson]. I don’t think they were just lifting weights, they might have been eating pretty good down there. Parker came back married, he came back stronger, he came back heavier. We’re going to give him an opportunity to get on the field. He may end up being the left guard. Who knows?"

It’s not a definitive plan, but it seems logical to give a top-65 pick a chance to battle for a starting spot. It makes sense considering Parker spent his offseason with a guard (Jackson) who knows the position. He can also line up on the left side of the offensive line like his collegiate days as a tackle at North Carolina A&T.

Perhaps Parker’s move to the opposite side of the front line added difficulty to his transition on the pro level against tougher competition.

Currently, Denzelle Good has the inside track to the starting left guard spot — that would change if the Raiders signed Richie Incognito, who may serve a suspension because of misdemeanor charges of threats and disorderly conduct stemming from an incident in Scottsdale, Arizona.

Good has logged 23 starts in four seasons; he’s far from a lock to win the starting job. If the Raiders don’t add Incognito to the mix, we could see an intriguing battle between a four-year veteran, who’s served in primarily a backup role, and a second-year player learning a new position.