The offensive line for the Raiders through three games has been worse than expected. The team has suffered some injuries, including to swing tackle Brandon Parker and center Andre James. Still, the unit as a whole is underperforming.
So are there any moves that Josh McDaniels could make with his current squad to get better play from his offensive line? There is one that does make sense and it involves a veteran player being benched.
In a recent article by Alex Ballentine of Bleacher Report, he named one player that every team should bench ahead of Week 4. For the Raiders, that was none other than Jermaine Eluemunor, who started last week at right guard.
Here is why the site believes the Raiders should consider moving on from the veteran offensive lineman:
“Jermaine Eluemunor has already started games at right tackle and guard as the Raiders try to put out a starting five that can help this offense get going.
Regardless of position, Eluemunor doesn’t seem to be the answer. According to Sports Info Solutions, the former Patriots lineman has the fifth-highest blown-block percentage of anyone who has played at least 50 snaps this season.”
It’s likely that the Raiders will put Eluemunor back into a reserve role once Andre James is healthy. That will allow Dylan Parham to shift back to right guard, which is where he played in Week 1.
The Raiders aren’t having any success with their offensive line as it currently stands. So they might as well start their young players including Thayer Munford (right tackle) and Parham (left guard). Look for Elumunor to revert back to the bench in the next few weeks.