On Wednesday, it was reported that the NFL will shorten the preseason by removing two games (Week 1 and Week 4) due to COVID-19 concerns. While it’s certainly possible that the remaining two games are eventually canceled as well, the plan is for the Raiders to play the 49ers and the Cardinals.
For a large portion of the roster, missing two preseason games isn’t a big deal. In the 2019 preseason, Jon Gruden rarely played any of his starters and the games got sloppy pretty quickly.
However, the loss of two preseason games will have an impact on several players, especially for those trying to find a spot on the roster. But outside of just the undrafted free agents and players on the bottom of the roster, the shortened preseason could hurt a few veterans and some of the rookie class.
Today, we are taking a look at the four Raiders who could suffer the most from the reduced preseason.
1. WR Bryan Edwards
Without a doubt, Bryan Edwards’ spot on the final roster is secure. However, his place on the depth chart is not. The No. 81 pick in the 2020 draft had a difficult draft process as he was forced to miss both the Senior Bowl and the NFL Combine with a broken foot. That contributed to his fall in the draft as he was clearly a top-50 talent entering the draft process.
With no mini-camps or team OTAs, Edwards has fewer opportunities to get back up to speed before the season begins. He is a player that could have really used the extra preseason games to get his feet back under him and learn the offense.
But with just two preseason games, there will be limited chances for him to impress the coaching staff and that could cause him to fall down on the depth chart some. In a normal year, it’s not inconceivable to think Edwards could have been competing for starter snaps. Now, he will be lucky to be anything higher than the No. 4 receiver entering the 2020 season.
2. SS Johnathan Abram
Johnathan Abram’s rookie season didn’t last very long for the Raiders. He was injured in the team’s first game of the season as he played just 48 snaps in 2019.
With Karl Joseph off to Cleveland in free agency, the Raiders need Abram to be the team’s enforcer in the middle of the field. And unfortunately, they don’t have much time for him to shake off the rust as the Raiders will play an incredibly difficult schedule to start the season littered with future Hall of Fame quarterbacks.
While Abram’s snaps were likely to be monitored in the preseason anyways, it would have been nice to see the former first-round pick get through a four-game preseason slate. Instead, look for him to see more action in the team’s two preseason games to prepare him for the season.
3. CB Isaiah Johnson
The Raiders did quite a bit to improve their cornerback room this offseason, drafting the likes of Damon Arnette and Amik Robertson as well as signing veteran Prince Amukamara. But one name that has been lost in the shuffle a bit is former fourth-round pick, Isaiah Johnson.
Coming out of Houston, Johnson was thought of as an upside pick as he possessed all of the size and athleticism needed to be a star defensive back in the NFL. But a preseason injury set him back as he missed the first half of the 2019 season. Johnson would play just 14 snaps as a rookie as he struggled to find the field after falling down the depth chart.
With the amount of talent the Raiders added this offseason to their cornerback room, Johnson not only is fighting for his spot on the depth chart but for a job on the 53-man roster. The former wide receiver convert needs as many snaps as possible to get up to speed and losing two preseason games certainly doesn’t help his chances of making an impact this season.
4. QB Marcus Mariota
And finally, the player who might be hurt the most from the limited preseason is backup quarterback Marcus Mariota. Without a doubt, Mariota’s all is to eventually unseat Derek Carr to become the team’s starter. But that is going to become much more difficult to accomplish without the extra two games.
Typically, Gruden likes to play the backup quarterbacks for at least a half in every game, if not more. And for someone like Mariota, he needs all the live reps he can get as he tries to learn this new, complex offense.
Expect Mariota to still play a significant amount of snaps in the preseason, but losing two games could impact him the most as he tries to turn his career around with the Raiders.
