The Raiders had three starters on the offensive line set to become free agents this year; Andre James, Greg Van Roten, and Jermaine Eluemunor. Of the three, only James has been retained.
It’s been no secret that the Raiders have been looking to make upgrades on their offensive line and it’s very likely that they will use the No. 13 pick on an offensive lineman this season. But as of right now, they have a massive hole at right guard on their roster.
In a recent article by ESPN, they wrote about every team’s biggest need coming out of the first few weeks of free agency. Here is what the site has to say about the hole at right guard for Las Vegas:
Having re-signed center Andre James, and with Thayer Munford a logical pick to start at right tackle, the Raiders need to find a veteran road grader at right guard. Greg Van Roten was the starter last year but is a free agent, so the Raiders might be looking for an upgrade.
Unfortunately, there aren’t many capable guards on the market right now. In fact, the top veteran guard is Van Roten, but it’s clear that the Raiders want to move on from him since he is 34. Laken Tomlinson and Dalton Risner are the other two top options, but neither player seems all that eager to sign right now.
Don’t be surprised if the Raiders use one of their top two picks in this year’s draft to upgrade the offensive line. New head coach Antonio Pierce has made this a point of emphasis as he tries to build up the trenches in Las Vegas.
