Oakland Raiders: 5 Key roster battles to watch during 2019 preseason

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OAKLAND, CA – NOVEMBER 11: Daryl Worley #20 of the Oakland Raiders reacts to a play against the Los Angeles Chargers during their NFL game at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum on November 11, 2018 in Oakland, California. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images) /

The Oakland Raiders have several prominent roles open to competition going into the 2019 preseason. We’ll take a look at the top five position battles.

For a moment, we’ll shift the focus away from wide receiver Antonio Brown‘s helmet issue, his foot injury and the reported “disconnect” between him and the Oakland Raiders, phrased by NFL Network’s Mike Silver. The Silver and Black will start their preseason against the Los Angeles Rams Saturday—and several significant positions remain in contention.

The Raiders wrapped up joint practices with the Rams on a sour note Thursday. Right guard Gabe Jackson suffered an MCL injury. According to The Athletic’s Vic Tafur, he’ll need “roughly eight weeks” to recover, which puts him in play to suit up against the Chicago Bears Week 5 in London Oct. 6. Because of the travel and a Week 6 bye, don’t be surprised to see him held out until Week 7 for the Green Bay Packers.

For now, the Raiders have to tab starters at both guard spots to start the season. In addition to Jackson’s absence, Richie Incognito will serve a two-game suspension for violating the league’s personal conduct policy. Quarterback Derek Carr took 51 sacks last year; Oakland must patch up the interior of its offensive line.

Assuming Brown comes to terms with the league’s new helmet rule, the Raiders have an open spot behind him and Tyrell Williams for the No. 3 wide receiver spot. Despite the veteran options, a rookie may open the campaign in three-wideout sets.

The Raiders will likely shuffle a deep group on the interior of their defensive line, but the coaching staff has to divvy up the snaps opposite Clelin Ferrell on the edge. We’ll probably see a pass rush by committee on that side, but someone has an opportunity to claim a majority of the snaps.

In the secondary, Oakland has a crucial battle at cornerback opposite Gareon Conley. The league suspended cornerback Nevin Lawson four games for violating the performance-enhancing drugs policy, which leaves Daryl Worley and Trayvon Mullen as strong candidates to start.

What should we look for in these position battles? How did the competitors perform through training camp practices thus far?

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