NFL Rumors: 3 offensive linemen the Las Vegas Raiders should sign after Monday Night Football loss
The Las Vegas Raiders are no longer undefeated after losing to the Los Angeles Chargers on Monday Night Football. Josh Jacobs returned to the lineup but had little room to run thanks to his offensive line.
Despite a 3-1 record, the Raiders' offensive line has been a weakness. Alex Leatherwood has struggled and has been penalized heavily. In the interior of their line, both starting guards and center haven't played well. The Raiders should look to the open market to help boost their offensive line.
The #Raiders rank 31st in NFL in yards/carry (3.25) and have allowed the 5th most sacks (12)
Three offensive linemen the Raiders should sign.
# 1 - Forrest Lamp
Forrest Lamp was a high second-round pick in the 2017 draft. The Chargers drafted him 38th overall. Lamp suffered a knee injury that caused him to miss his rookie season. In 2018 and 2019, he only played nine games. But in 2020, Lamp finally played a whole season and stayed healthy.
Lamp had his share of struggles in 2020. His pass blocking was ahead of his run blocking, but he was only penalized once on 1,174 snaps. The Raiders are the fifth most penalized team in the league this year.
Free agent guard Forrest Lamp, who started all 16 games for the #Chargers last season, has made a (smart) decision and is now fully vaccinated, source said. After a minor calf strain in camp, he is now healthy and ready to contribute for OL-needy teams.
Guards are the Raiders' weakest position, more so than center or tackle. Lamp is a high-risk investment but could prove to be an upgrade over Jermaine Eluemunor and Jordan Simmons.
# 2 - Russell Bodine
Russell Bodine has been out of the NFL since 2018. On the surface, signing a player who's been out of football is questionable. Andre James has been among the most disappointing centers in the NFL. He has an overall Pro Football Focus grade of 38.8 and has been penalized four times. The center position isn't his natural position, so an upgrade is needed.
Bodine is 29 years old and relatively fresh after two years of not playing. Bodine started 16 games for the Cincinnati Bengals from 2014 to 2017. For comparison's sake, Bodine had a 62.3 Pro Football Focus grade in 2018 and didn't allow any sacks. His strength is in pass protection, which would benefit quarterback Derek Carr.
# 3 - Kelechi Osemele
The final move the Raiders should make is signing Kelechi Osemele. Osemele was a member of the Raiders from 2016 through 2018. In those two seasons, Osemele was one of the best guards in football. He even made a first-team All-Pro in 2016 and a Pro Bowl in 2017.
If you are wondering how Kelechi Osemele’s recovery is going. He posted this on Instagram yesterday. Those are some quick feet. #Chiefs https://t.co/roBeXkX8i0
Osemele is recovering from an injury he suffered in Week 5 last year. Osemele is the best run blocker on this list, which would benefit Jacobs significantly. He also has solid pass protection, and he knows the Raiders system under Jon Gruden. Reuniting with Osemele would be a wise investment for the Raiders.
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