Heading into the offseason, the Raiders knew that their left guard position was a weakness, especially after they traded away veteran Kelechi Osemele. They just didn’t have a proven veteran on the roster who could fill his role.
That is why general manager Mike Mayock and head coach Jon Gruden made the bold more to lure Richie Incognito out of retirement to join the Raiders.
The move certainly came with risks, such as Incognito being out of football for two years, his pending suspension, and his off-the-field legal troubles. However, Mayock and Gruden were confident that he could still play at a high level, and they were right.
Through five weeks, Incognito is Pro Football Focus’ seventh-ranked guard, just ahead of players like David DeCastro of the Pittsburgh Steelers and Marshal Yanda of the Baltimore Ravens. Take a look at why the site believes he has been dominant so far in 2019:
Incognito missed the first two games of the year through suspension but has delivered since getting back in the lineup for the Raiders over the past three weeks. On 105 pass-blocking snaps he has yet to allow a sack or hit, with just three hurries against his name in 2019. He has also delivered as a run blocker, producing an 82.0 grade on 90 run-blocking snaps.
When Gabe Jackson finally returns to the lineup, Oakland should have one of the best interior offensive lines in the league with Incognito, Jackson, and center Rodney Hudson. That should allow the running game to continue to dominate and for quarterback Derek Carr to feel more comfortable in the pocket.
While not every move as worked out so far for Mayock and Gruden, they have hit a home-run with the Incognito signing.
