When the Raiders take the field for their home opener against the Saints, it will mark three weeks since they acquired linebacker Raekwon McMillan from the Dolphins.
Obviously you don’t make a trade like that unless you have plans for that player. For McMillan the team sees him as a strong side linebacker and backup middle linebacker. So, when they lost Nick Kwiatkoski to a pectoral injury midway through their season opener, it would seem like McMillan’s time might come sooner than expected.
Maybe pump the brakes on that.
“I just met Raekwon 12 days ago,” said head coach Jon Gruden when I asked him whether McMillan was ready to start if called upon. “So, it’s going to be something that he has to prove, our coaches have to prove and the game film will prove it. We think he’s a good player, that’s why we brought him here. But has he had enough time to get all the experience that he needs to play at a high level in the NFL against the New Orleans Saints? That’s something that he has to prove. But, he’s got the talent to do it and he’s working hard.”
McMillan’s readiness is not the only potential road block to him seeing extensive work Monday night.
The fourth year linebacker is a run stopper. That’s his specific talent and a role he fills well. The Saints running back is Alvin Kamara — a back who makes as many or more plays as a receiver than he does as a runner.
If this is sounding like a familiar scouting report for a Raiders opponent it’s because they faced an extremely similar back last week in Christian McCaffrey. And with Kwiatkoski playing just 22 snaps, it was Nicholas Morrow who the team turned to to make up the difference. They gave the green dot helmet to Cory Littleton while McMillan saw just six snaps.
McMillan will have his time. He will get acclimated to the defense and the Raiders will face more run-heavy teams in which they will need to utilize more of McMillan’s special set of skills. But this isn’t that week.
