After releasing both starting offensive guards in Richie Incognito and Gabe Jackson, the Raiders are in the market for starting-caliber guards. And they may have just found one who is recently retired.
According to Adam Schefter of ESPN, the Raiders will meet with three-time Pro Bowl guard Kyle Long on Monday. Long was originally a first-round pick by the Bears in the 2013 NFL Draft and made three-straight Pro Bowls to start his career, playing both right guard and right tackle.
Three-time Pro Bowl G Kyle Long, who is coming out of retirement, is scheduled to visit Monday with the Las Vegas Raiders, per source. Long is scheduled to visit KC next. Long's father, Howie, had a Hall-of-Fame career for Raiders and another Long now in play for the franchise.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 15, 2021
Long last played for the Bears in 2019, starting four games at guard. He’s dealt with a variety of injuries over the years, playing a total of just 12 games since the start of the 2018 season.
However, the Raiders do have experience with pulling offensive linemen out of retirement and onto the field. Long is just 32-years old and with a full season off in 2020, he is healthy and ready to return to football. It also doesn’t hurt that his father was one of the greatest Raiders to ever wear the Silver and Black, so that could certainly be a recruiting tool for the team.
With the Raiders drastically needing to improve their offensive line, taking a low-risk shot at Long isn’t the worst idea in the world. If he is healthy, he is among the best interior offensive linemen in the league. Keep an eye on this situation as a deal could form rather quickly in Las Vegas.
