Raiders To Play Trent Brown At Right Tackle
- Although the Raiders gave Trent Brown the biggest contract in tackle history, they plan to use him at right tackle. Jon Gruden confirmed (via NFL.com’s Mike Garafolo, on Twitter) Kolton Miller will stay at left tackle and Brown, who signed a $16.5MM-AAV deal in March, will return to the right-edge spot he occupied in San Francisco. The Patriots used Brown at left tackle, and he played a key role in their championship push in the playoffs. However, this may be geared toward the Raiders’ competition. Von Miller consistently rushes against right tackles, as does Joey Bosa. It is possible Clark will too, though that has yet to be determined. Nevertheless, Brown now easily usurps Denver’s Ja’Wuan James ($12.75MM per year) as the NFL’s highest-paid right tackle.
- Mike Mayock identified a new key presence in his scouting department. Cowboys west coast area scout Jim Abrams will become the Raiders’ new college scouting director, Alex Marvez of Sirius XM Radio and ESPN.com’s Todd Archer report (Twitter links). Abrams worked with Gruden during part of the Raiders HC’s Buccaneers tenure and has nearly 30 years of NFL experience.
Raiders Sign 5 Of 9 Draft Picks
The Raiders already have the majority of their draft class under contract. The following players have signed (all links to go Twitter):
- 4-106: Maxx Crosby, DE (Eastern Michigan)(via Vic Tafur of The Athletic)
- 4-129: Isaiah Johnson, CB (Houston) (via Tafur)
- 4-137: Foster Moreau, TE (LSU) (via Adam Caplan of SiriusXM)
- 5-149: Hunter Renfrow, WR (Clemson) (via Tafur)
- 7-230: Quinton Bell, DE (Prairie View A&M)(via Tafur)
Johnson, a converted wide receiver, notched two interceptions in each of his final two seasons at Houston. Heading into the draft, there was some buzz about him going as high as the second round, so the Raiders were undoubtedly thrilled to land him in the fourth.
“Boy, we love him,” GM Mike Mayock said after the draft. “We’re a press corner team. Jimmy O’Neil, our defensive backs coach, he’s happier than I’ve ever seen him. So now we have some long, press corners that go along with Gareon and everybody else that we have. Gareon Conley, Daryl Worley, and all our guys. Bottom line, we’re ecstatic with those corners.”
Raiders Place Isaiah Crowell On IR
As expected, Isaiah Crowell is heading to the Raiders’ IR list. The Raiders made that move on Friday, the team announced.
Crowell suffered an Achilles’ tendon tear while working out Tuesday. By virtue of Friday’s transaction, the sixth-year running back will miss the 2019 season.
The Raiders moved quickly to re-sign Doug Martin. Marshawn Lynch is open to returning as well, but he remains in free agency. Oakland is expected to position rookie Josh Jacobs as its starter. Attached to a second-round tender, Jalen Richard is on the roster as a passing-down option. Martin, who bounced back from two down years in becoming the starter after Lynch went down last season, figures to push for the backup job.
As for Crowell, this is obviously a tough blow. He saw the Jets cut bait on the parties’ three-year deal after one season, one in which he received a career-low 143 carries. While Crowell is just 26, Achilles tears are quite damaging to running backs’ careers.
Raiders Decline Karl Joseph’s 2020 Option
Although Karl Joseph‘s stay on the trade block did not produce a departure, unlike other Reggie McKenzie first-round picks last year, the Raiders will not add a year onto the safety’s rookie contract.
The Raiders opted to decline the safety’s fifth-year option, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reports (on Twitter). Jon Gruden confirmed this Friday, per Paul Gutierrez of ESPN.com.
This runs contrary to a February report indicating the Raiders were considering exercising Joseph’s option. But this points a path out of Oakland for yet another of McKenzie’s high picks. Since Gruden arrived, he has shipped out first- or second-round picks Khalil Mack, Amari Cooper, Mario Edwards, Jihad Ward and Obi Melifonwu. Joseph is now in a contract year.
A 2016 first-round pick, Joseph was a part-time starter for the 2018 Raiders. He played with the first-string defense in eight games. With Lamarcus Joyner now signed and Gruden openly expressing his affinity for first-round pick Johnathan Abram‘s skill set, Joseph’s role is now even more uncertain.
Raiders Cut TE Lee Smith
The Raiders have cut veteran tight end Lee Smith, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). Rapoport posits that Smith could reunite with his old offensive coordinator Todd Downing, who is now the tight ends coach of the Titans, and Paul Kuharsky of PaulKuharsky.com feels that Tennessee will indeed pursue Smith (Twitter link).
Smith’s release comes as something of a surprise, as Raiders head coach Jon Gruden has shown a fondness for veterans of his ilk, and he is one of the better blocking tight ends in the league. But he offers almost nothing as a receiver, as he has averaged just 49 receiving yards per season in his eight years in the league.
Plus, Oakland just added TE Foster Moreau in the fourth round of last week’s draft, and the club already has a blocking tight end on the roster in Derek Carrier. Luke Willson, who signed with the Raiders last month, is the most prolific receiving TE on the roster.
Smith signed a three-year deal with the Raiders last March, but he made it through just the first year of that contract. Oakland creates just under $2MM in cap space with the move.
Derrick Johnson Retires From NFL
Linebacker Derrick Johnson is retiring from football, according to 610 Sports Radio. But, before he officially hangs ’em up, he’ll sign a one-day contract to go out as as member of the Chiefs. 
Johnson, 36, was a key cog in the Chiefs’ defense from 2005 through 2017. He leaves the game as the Chiefs’ all-time leading tackler, with 1,262 career stops to his credit. Since entering the league as a first round pick, Johnson suited up in 182 games for Kansas City with 169 starts. In 2018, the Chiefs made the difficult decision to allow Johnson to leave in free agency.
“Few players in recent history have meant more to the Chiefs franchise and the Kansas City community than Derrick Johnson,” Chiefs Chairman and CEO Clark Hunt said in a statement last year. “His tireless work ethic and passion for the game made him one of the most productive defensive players to ever wear a Chiefs uniform and one of the most respected players both in our locker room and around the league. Over the last 13 seasons, Derrick represented himself and the Chiefs organization with integrity and class, and he will always be a part of our Chiefs family.”
After that, Johnson hooked on with the Raiders, but his second act didn’t go as planned. Johnson appeared in six games (one start) for the silver and black, amassing just 17 tackles. In October, the Raiders granted his request for release, but he did not sign with another club in the 2018 season.
Johnson’s one-day deal comes on the heels of running back Jamaal Charles‘ own ceremonial contract to retire as a member of the Chiefs.
Marshawn Lynch Open To Raiders Return
Maybe Marshawn Lynch isn’t dead set on retirement after all. The running back – who hung up his cleats just days ago – would be open to a Raiders return if the team wants him back, Steve Wyche of NFL.com (on Twitter) hears. 
[RELATED: Lynch Retires For Second Time]
A Lynch return made some degree of sense in the wake of Isaiah Crowell‘s (likely) season-ending injury. However, the Raiders moved fast on Wednesday by re-signing Doug Martin. Now, the Raiders running back room feels crowded once again with Martin, rookie Joshua Jacobs, Jalen Richard, Chris Warren III, and DeAndre Washington under contract.
But, even if he’s not a fit for the Raiders in 2019, one has to wonder whether Lynch would entertain the idea of playing elsewhere. The 33-year-old is certainly past his prime, but he has averaged a respectable 4.3 yards per carry for the Raiders over the last two years and would add toughness to any backfield.
For his career, Beast Mode owns five Pro Bowl nods, one First-Team All-Pro selection, and a Super Bowl ring.
Raiders Re-Sign Doug Martin
The Raiders have agreed to re-sign running back Doug Martin, according to Mike Garafolo of NFL.com (on Twitter). With that, Oakland has a “replacement” for Isaiah Crowell, who is likely done for the year after suffering a torn Achilles. 
Last year, Martin led the team with 723 yards on the ground and averaged a respectable 4.2 yards per carry. This time around, he may not be the team’s top ball carrier. On Thursday, the Raiders used a first round pick on Josh Jacobs and all indications are that they have big plans for the Alabama product.
Back in November, Jon Gruden indicated that he wanted Martin back for another season. It took longer than anticipated, but the veteran has himself a deal for 2019.
“He’s a good back. I think I’ll say it again and again, he’s a very good player,” Gruden said. “He’s been a great player in this league. He’s running it. He’s catching it. He picked up some blitz that were flushed. We did a lot of good things on the film that I look at.”
Still, Martin should be able to carve out a decent role, particularly in the wake of Marshawn Lynch‘s retirement. In addition to Jacobs and Martin, the Raiders have Jalen Richard, Chris Warren III, and DeAndre Washington on hand to keep the chains moving.
Raiders’ Isaiah Crowell Suffers Torn Achilles
Isaiah Crowell‘s season may already be over. During workouts on Tuesday, the new Raiders running back suffered an Achilles tear, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter). 
Crowell is unlikely to suit up for the 2019 season, but as Mike Garafolo of NFL.com (on Twitter) notes, there have been some instances of players tearing their Achilles in the spring and managing to play in the same season. Michael Crabtree, for example, tore his Achilles in May of 2013 but managed to play in five regular season games and two playoff contests for the 49ers. Still, the early read from the Raiders’ medical staff is that Crowell won’t be able to suit up.
The Raiders signed Crowell to a one-year deal in late March, positioning him as one of Oakland’s top rushers. Instead, it now appears that first-round pick Josh Jacobs is slated for an even bigger role than anticipated. The Raiders also have Jalen Richard, Chris Warren III, and DeAndre Washington to help keep things moving following the retirement of Marshawn Lynch. Meanwhile, last year’s top rusher Doug Martin remains in free agent limbo.
Raleigh McKenzie Won't Return To Raiders
Despite the Raiders parting ways with Reggie McKenzie late last year, his twin brother remained a scout through this draft. But Raleigh McKenzie will be one of the scouts sent home pre-draft that will not return. Raleigh McKenzie’s contract is up, and he confirmed to Michael Gehlken of the Las Vegas Review-Journal he will not be retained. The 56-year-old area scout in charge of the northeast had worked with the Raiders since Reggie McKenzie’s 2012 hire and said he viewed his exit as a “strong possibility” after his brother was let go, per Gehlken. Reggie McKenzie resurfaced in Miami. That would obviously be a logical landing spot for Raleigh.
- The Raiders have added so many new wide receivers they might not all make the team. Slotting Antonio Brown, Tyrell Williams, Ryan Grant and Dwayne Harris as locks to make the roster, along with Hunter Renfrow‘s probably spot, Scott Bair of NBC Sports Bay Area lists J.J. Nelson as a bubble player. A intriguing deep threat during Bruce Arians‘ run, the diminutive Nelson fell off the grid last season (seven receptions in 14 games). Harris is five years older than Nelson and has been mostly a return-only presence the past three years. He received a one-year, $1.6MM contract with $275K guaranteed; Nelson, 27, signed a one-year, $1MM deal with $75K guaranteed.