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One of the best and most comprehensive features we offer every year is our Footballguys Preseason Updates. Every week this month, Bob Henry, Jason Wood, Clayton Gray, and their team of Footballguys Staffers cover every player that matters from every NFL team. It's 32-plus pages of some of the most comprehensive coverage you'll find. It's probably worth the Footballguys Premium Subscription by itself.
Updates from Week 4
If you're in a hurry, check out Joe Bryant's Preseason Insights: What You Need To Know This Week.
Preseason Updates: Quarterbacks
After much deliberation, the team named Gardner Minshew II the starter. Although many expected Aidan O’Connell to get the nod if the competition was close, head coach Antonio Pierce, general manager Tom Telesco, and offensive coordinator Luke Getsy ultimately decided that Minshew was a better fit for the offense at this time. “There’s a lot of factors, so we feel like Gardner gives us the best opportunity to get off to a fast start, and that’s what we’re going with,” Pierce said. While experience and processing speed were cited, Vic Tafur of The Athletic suggests that Minshew’s mobility might have been the deciding factor. Getsy explained, “In this game, I think it’s really important that you have some type of escapability. It doesn’t mean you have to be as dynamic as Justin [Fields] was, but I think you have to have escapability. You’ve got to be able to have the second chance and create the extended play, whether it’s just sliding in the pocket or whether it’s extending it with your feet outside of the pocket.” Minshew’s ability to escape pressure is crucial to play behind a potentially below-average offensive line. “His personality is infectious… his leadership is infectious,” Pierce added. “Things [he must improve on]: footwork in the pocket, staying on script. There’s some magic about him when he does break the pocket and does his thing, but there’s a lot of times where if the first or second read is there, we got to let it rip. So, he understands that, and more importantly, taking care of the football.” While Minshew will start the season, it wouldn’t be surprising to see O’Connell get an opportunity later, especially if the offensive line improves and Minshew struggles.
Preseason Updates: Running Backs
Zamir White is secure as the lead back, as expected. While he has shown lapses in pass protection, he has impressed with his ability to catch the ball. Losing some pass protection snaps might not hurt his value, as Alexander Mattison, the top backup, will likely take on many of those responsibilities. The Athletic's Tafur and Tashan Reed expect rookie Dylan Laube to make the team but note that he is more of a project than an immediate contributor. Laube started in the preseason finale, where most of the projected regular-season contributors sat. Keep an eye on Laube as a long-term asset, but manage early expectations.
Preseason Updates: Wide Receivers
Davante Adams is locked in as the No. 1 wide receiver and had the typically low-key camp you would expect from a proven veteran. DeSean Jackson made headlines this week by speculating about Adams’ mindset: “This one’s tough because me and Davante, we’ve talked, and I hate to do it because I don’t want to be the guy that’s ‘Oh, D-Jax said this and said that,’ but at the end of the day [Davante] isn’t happy. You go from Aaron Rodgers, then you come to the Las Vegas Raiders… and it just didn’t quite work out, so now I just don’t think he’s really that happy there.” Do not overreact to this anecdote but keep it in mind if the Raiders fall out of contention early this season, which would open the door to trade Adams to a contender.
Jakobi Meyers has had an excellent camp and feels like a bit of a forgotten man in fantasy circles despite finishing as the No. 24 wide receiver last season. While Brock Bowers may siphon away a few targets, there is little to suggest any actual change in Meyers’ role. Tre Tucker is the No. 3 receiver and has bounced back after some drops early in camp. He underwent LASIK surgery in the offseason, and after an adjustment period, he has been catching everything and getting behind the defense regularly with his elite speed. Behind the top three, Jalen Guyton and D.J. Turner look locked in as the fourth and fifth options. The battle for the final spot likely comes down to Tyreik McAllister or Kristian Wilkerson.
Preseason Updates: Tight Ends
Brock Bowers continues to miss practice with a foot injury, though Antonio Pierce downplayed the severity of it at a recent press conference. “Yeah, just precautionary,” said Pierce when asked if Bowers would be ready for Week 1. “Got a foot injury, and we just want to protect him.” There are no details about the specifics of the issue, and Raiders beat writers do not seem overly concerned. The team has big plans for Bowers, who should feature extensively in the passing offense alongside Davante Adams and Jakobi Meyers. Behind Bowers, Michael Mayer and Harrison Bryant are both in the mix for playing time. Bryant is a slightly better blocker than Mayer or Bowers, which should earn him a regular role.
Preseason Updates: Defense
There are depth issues behind starting defensive ends Maxx Crosby and Malcolm Koonce. Tyree Wilson and Janarius Robinson look the part physically but have not shown the burst or flexibility to generate pressure. Depth is also a potential problem behind the starting cornerback trio of Jack Jones, Jakorian Bennett, and Nate Hobbs. Various backups have flashed throughout camp, but none has been consistently dependable.
Preseason Updates: Returners
Dax Milne is looking increasingly unlikely to make the final roster. Instead, Ameer Abdullah and Tre Tucker are the most likely candidates to return kickoffs and punts this year.
Updates from Week 3
If you're in a hurry, check out Joe Bryant's Preseason Insights: What You Need To Know This Week.
Preseason Updates: Quarterbacks
After a tight camp battle, head coach Antonio Pierce officially named Gardner Minshew II the starter on Sunday. "A lot of things went into it," Pierce said. "It wasn't based off of [solely] last night. There are a lot of factors. So, we feel like Gardner gives us the best opportunity to get off to a fast start, and that's what we're going with. We support him, our team is behind it, our staff is behind it, the organization is behind it." Minshew’s experience may have been the deciding factor. His rushing ability and general mobility are also bonuses, especially with the Raiders working through some instability along the offensive line. "The operation, the process, and just everything we saw in practice," Pierce said of other factors that played a role in the choice. "Some of it showed up in the games. A lot of stuff we can get better at. I don't think anything here is a finished product, but based off of where we want to go in the first quarter of the season, we feel like Gardner gives us the best opportunity." It is noteworthy that Pierce specifically mentioned “the first quarter of the season” in his answer. This strongly indicates Minshew will have to prove himself early to hold onto the job beyond the first handful of games. The window will still be open for Aidan O’Connell to win back the starting role if Minshew struggles. Given Minshew’s showing in the Week 2 matchup against the Cowboys, he will have to step up his play if he hopes to lock down the job. He went 10-for-21 for 95 yards and no touchdowns. He had a potential interception dropped and missed a wide-open Jakobi Meyers multiple times. He did not decisively win the starting job with a performance that should quiet any doubts. “Everybody wants to see a player just take it and say, ‘Hey, I’m your guy.’ Well, obviously, that’s probably not the case,” Pierce said.
Preseason Updates: Running Backs
According to Nathan Jahnke of Pro Football Focus, the snap counts at running back over the first eight drives against the Cowboys (which included starters and players competing for starting jobs) broke down as follows: Zamir White (18), Alexander Mattison (16), Dylan Laube (13), and Ameer Abdullah (2). White’s usage was interesting and potentially concerning. He rotated heavily with Mattison and Laube and was still in the game into the third quarter. Mattison’s playing time could be related to the quarterback battle and a desire to give both competitors time with the top guys. However, offensive coordinator Luke Getsy did rotate backs heavily in Chicago last season. This is a difficult situation to figure out. Strange preseason usage for Josh Jacobs caused his stock to slide two years ago. He went on to lead the league in rushing.
Preseason Updates: Wide Receivers
The pecking order is clear. Davante Adams is the top option, Jakobi Meyers is the number two, and Tre Tucker is the number three. Tucker will usually come off the field whenever the Raiders use multiple tight ends, which should be a regular occurrence. Behind the top three, D.J. Turner and Kristian Wilkerson are battling for the fourth spot. Adams was held out of the Cowboys matchup with an undisclosed minor injury. “If you’re healthy, you’ll play,” Pierce said when asked about veterans sitting out. It does not take much reading between the lines to assume the reason for Adams coming down with a minor injury. Adams is expected to return to practice on Tuesday, so this is nothing to worry about.
Adams looked perfectly fine in a mid-week open scrimmage in front of nearly 20,000 fans. He caught a deep ball and had several nice hookups with Aidan O’Connell. Vic Tafur of The Athletic noted that Adams is “clearly more comfortable” with O’Connell than Minshew, which could be a storyline to watch now that Minshew has been named the starter. Tucker built off a strong showing in the preseason opener and led the team with three catches for 66 yards in Week 2. “He did an outstanding job,” said Pierce after the game. Tucker won’t be a high-volume target, but his elite speed makes him a big-play threat, and he will be an important piece of the puzzle.
Preseason Updates: Tight Ends
Brock Bowers missed the game against the Cowboys with a foot injury. It does not appear to be anything serious, and he is expected back at practice this week. You can even read the absence as positive, with Bowers and Adams being the two relatively healthy stars who got the day off while the rest of the starters were out there. Bowers has quickly earned the respect of his teammates, earning the nickname “Businessman” from Davante Adams. “The ‘Businessman’ doesn’t really need to hear it from me,” Adams said after noting he congratulated Bowers on his first preseason catch last weekend. “He’s already locked in and ready to go.” Based on how teammates and the coaching staff have talked about Bowers since he arrived in Las Vegas, it will not be surprising if he has an instant impact like Sam LaPorta did last season.
Preseason Updates: Defense
The Raiders have had to pull Maxx Crosby from some team sessions to let the offense work on deeper passing concepts. He has been dominant and could have an NFL Defensive Player of the Year-caliber season in 2024. The secondary continues to play well. Cornerback Jack Jones had three first-quarter pass breakups against Dallas. The major area of concern continues to be the run defense. Despite resting starters, the Cowboys moved the ball on the ground against a Raiders defense featuring many of the starters. Last year’s first-rounder Tyree Wilson may have to try to transition to the interior. He has made zero impact at defensive end and looks like a waste of a premium pick.
Preseason Updates: Offensive Lines
The premium talent is on the left side, where left tackle Kolton Miller is joined by rookie left guard Jackson Powers-Johnson (Round 2 – Oregon). Miller is on the PUP list with a lingering shoulder injury from last season, but he should be activated before Week 1. Jackson Powers-Johnson had also been on the list until Wednesday. New arrival Andrus Peat (New Orleans) has been taking swing tackle reps instead of Miller. The rest of the line (center Andre James, right guard Dylan Parham, and right tackle Thayer Munford) are good but not elite players. The Raiders' line ranks 21st overall.
Updates from Week 2
If you're in a hurry, check out Joe Bryant's Preseason Insights: What You Need To Know This Week.
Preseason Updates: Quarterbacks
The top two quarterbacks, Aidan O’Connell and Gardner Minshew II, performed well against the Vikings. The plan is for the two to rotate as starters for at least another week or two before any decisions are made. Against Minnesota, O’Connell started and led an impressive 15-play drive that ended in a short field goal. He completed 7-of-9 passes for 76 yards on his lone drive. Minshew then led the second unit, producing touchdowns on his first two drives. He was 6-of-12 for 117 yards and a touchdown. “I thought the quarterbacks responded well,” head coach Antonio Pierce said. The roles will likely reverse next week, with Minshew expected to get the starting nod. Overall, the performance of the two in the preseason opener was a pleasant surprise. Both quarterbacks had struggled in training camp against the defense. The optimistic view is that the Raiders' defense is so dominating that it’s skewing the offense’s effectiveness. The first half against the Vikings lends credence to that view, but it’s still far too early to calm fears about the offensive execution.
Preseason Updates: Running Backs
Zamir White was the lead back on the 15-play opening drive before giving way to Alexander Mattison for the second and third drives. White returned briefly for a pair of goal-line carries midway through the second quarter, the second of which he cashed in for a two-yard score. He finished with six carries for 23 yards and a touchdown. White is in line to see a heavy workload, even if it does not include many third-down opportunities. “He’s got a lot of juice and speed in a back that’s really thick,” said general manager Tom Telesco of White. “Still a lot to learn in the passing game as far as pass protection, but he’s got good hands out of the backfield.” Mattison is the handcuff to White and the top backup but may not have much of a role as long as White stays healthy. The third-down back will be either Ameer Abdullah or Dylan Laube. Abdullah played with the first and second units against Minnesota, while Laube did not debut until the second half.
Preseason Updates: Wide Receivers
Davante Adams, Jakobi Meyers, and Tre Tucker are locked in as the top three receivers. Adams has been absent from practices of late due to the birth of his child. Meyers has quietly had an excellent camp and looks poised for a very productive season. Meyers played only a single drive against Minnesota but still produced 45 yards on three receptions. Pierce noted he wanted to get the ball to Meyers and Brock Bowers. "I thought it was really good to see Jakobi," said Pierce. "Wanted to get him going early. Really wanted to get the ball out to Brock. And I think everything we've been waiting to see, we saw. The run-after-catch with both of those gentlemen, it's all going to be about YAC. They're going to be better as they go on. But really good film just to watch—in the run game as well and our play action stuff, so they showed up tonight." Tre Tucker has had too many drops in training camp but performed well against the Vikings, catching a pair of passes from Minshew for 77 yards.
Behind the top three wide receivers, Kristian Wilkerson and D.J. Turner look like the top two backups. “Kristian is making the most of his opportunities,” receivers coach Edgar Bennett said. “He’s been physical, strong, fast, trying to master the playbook and master his techniques.” Turner is a core special teamer and has also impressed on offense. He caught a 20-yard touchdown from Minshew. “D.J. Turner has really stood out,” Pierce said. “He’s made some plays down the field, and on some sweeps and some handoffs and obviously on the special teams.”
Preseason Updates: Tight Ends
Coach Pierce wanted to make sure Meyers and Bowers got the ball in their hands early. On his lone drive, Bowers lined up all over the field. On his eleven snaps, four came as an inline tight end, three came lined up out wide, three came lined up at fullback, and one came in the slot. One of his two catches came when lined up as the far outside receiver. The other came when lined up in the backfield as the fullback. "Just a dynamic player that's doing a good job just from a mental standpoint," Pierce said of Bowers. "Everything that we're asking him to do, he's doing, and he's not blinking. Not a lot of mental errors, not a repeat offender. Going to get better each and every week." The coaches leaned heavily into two-tight-end formations with both Michael Mayer and Bowers on the field together. Mayer caught his only target for seven yards.
Preseason Updates: Defense
Cornerback Brandon Facyson is out with an injury, leaving Jack Jones, Darkorian Bennett, and Nate Hobbs as the only proven commodities at the position. The trio has been outstanding in camp and carried it over into the matchup against the Vikings, with Jones notching an interception. Depth could be an issue, however. Young corners M.J. Devonshire and Decamerion Richardson struggled.
Preseason Updates: Returners
The Raiders recently signed former Commanders returner Dax Milne, but he faces a tough road to make the final roster. Ameer Abdullah and Tre Tucker are the most likely candidates to return kickoffs and punts, respectively, this year.
Updates from Week 1
If you're in a hurry, check out Joe Bryant's What You Need To Know From Every Team This Week.
Preseason Updates: Quarterbacks
Aidan O'Connell and Gardner Minshew II are in close competition for the starting quarterback position. In a recent Saturday night scrimmage, Minshew may have edged ahead by throwing the only two touchdown passes and avoiding major mistakes, unlike O'Connell, who threw two poor interceptions in the end zone. The two quarterbacks have been splitting first-team reps equally, but neither has stood out. According to Vic Tafur and Tashan Reed of The Athletic, both have struggled with accuracy, decision-making under pressure, and pushing the ball downfield.
Preseason Updates: Running Backs
Four running backs are battling for touches in the Raiders' backfield. Zamir White and Alexander Mattison are competing for early-down carries. Dylan Laube and Ameer Abdullah are competing for third-down and change-of-pace opportunities. “It’s wide open, it’s wide open everywhere,” head coach Antonio Pierce said of the running backs. “It’s competition, and I know it’s kind of cliché, but it’s true…Zamir’s gotten better at catching the ball out of the backfield and blitz pickup, and there are some rookies out there that we see flashing.” Laube has had a great camp and looks well on his way to making an immediate impact. “If you don’t watch practice closely, you might miss him,” said Pierce of Laube. “But if you really watch the body of work, you will see a rookie that is consistent — and that’s hard to do at this age. They usually get a little tired by now. They’ve been training since January. But he’s making the most out of his opportunity.”
Preseason Updates: Wide Receivers
Davante Adams has been away from the team for a few days, awaiting the birth of his third child. Jakobi Meyers remains locked in as the Raiders’ second wide receiver and has made a handful of impressive catches throughout camp. Tre Tucker struggled early in camp with multiple drops but has turned things around in recent practices. He is the favorite to start as the third wide receiver, although the offense is expected to use three wide receivers on the field less frequently than any other team in the NFL.
Preseason Updates: Tight Ends
Brock Bowers was billed as one of the best tight end prospects in recent memory and has mostly lived up to the hype early in camp. "I had no clue," said cornerback Nate Hobbs of Bowers’ speed. “Usually, when I get on a tight end, I could let off or jog a little bit. With him, you've got to be locked in because he's different." The Raiders have been making heavy use of multiple tight end packages, with Bowers lining up in the “F” position, essentially operating as a big slot receiver. Mayer has been lining up as the inline guy. “They’re both big, physical guys who have really great route-running ability,” safety Tre’Von Moehrig said of Mayer and Bowers. “Michael has really stepped it up in Year 2 — how he catches the ball and how he runs his routes. … And Brock, he’s had that ability all along, so hopefully, he can continue to do the things he’s been doing.”
Preseason Updates: Defense
Defensive end Maxx Crosby has been a standout throughout camp. Defensive tackle Christian Wilkins was signed to create a formidable duo with Crosby, and they have exceeded expectations. The secondary has also been a positive surprise, with Jack Jones bringing confidence and swagger that has benefited the entire unit. Jones and Jakorian Bennett are the starting cornerbacks, while Nate Hobbs plays slot corner. Tre’Von Moehrig and Marcus Epps are set at free safety and strong safety, respectively. The biggest concern is the slow progress of Tyree Wilson, the seventh-overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, who may struggle to find a spot in the rotation in his second season.
