Pierce credits James Cregg, Joe Philbin for working with young offensive tackles
The Las Vegas Raiders have been without starting left tackle Kolton Miller for all of training camp and the preseason so far—and the team’s spring practices for that matter—which has created an opportunity for Thayer Munford Jr. and DJ Glaze to get more reps. Via the media and the Raiders coaching staff, that has led to some praise for the young offensive tackles.
When head coach Antonio Pierce was asked about the development of the team’s offensive line after last Saturday’s preseason games against the Dallas Cowboys, Pierce highlighted the third-year pro and rookie.
“I thought [against the Cowboys], the protection was pretty, pretty good,” the coach replied. “I mean, the quarterback was clean for most of the part, I think we gave up a sack. I think what you’re seeing with Munford and DJ, you see two guys that are really battling and competing.”
Pierce’s recollection was slightly off but in a favorable direction as Las Vegas didn’t allow any sacks on Saturday night. Granted, Munford did give up a quarterback hit and a couple of hurries (three total pressures) and Glaze yielded one pressure (a hurry), according to Pro Football Focus. Still, that’s a solid job of protecting the passer which the coaching staff will undoubtedly take.
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Of course, no young player in the NFL gets there on his own and always has a collection of mentors in the locker room and the coaching staff, both of which have played a significant role in the tackle’s development this season.
“I really appreciate the two veterans that we have there, [Andrus] Peat, [Cody] Whitehair,” Pierce continued, “and Andre James has been a true anchor and just a veteran presence for us. But credit to (offensive line coach) James Cregg and (senior offensive assistant) Joe Philbin, they’ve done an outstanding job of just developing those guys.
“At times, it’s not always perfect, especially when you get those younger guys in here, man, but the mentality is there to finish, the strain, we’re getting better and better each and every week, and you see some of our younger guys develop.”
It’s interesting that Pierce brings up Peat as a mentor for the young offensive tackles. The well-tenured has struggled in the preseason, getting beat by rookie pass-rushers and posting an ugly 40.7 PFF run-blocking grade over the two games. So, he might end up losing his spot on the depth chart to one of the guys he’s been mentoring and could be on the chopping block heading into the Raiders’ final preseason game.
This Friday night against the San Francisco 49ers will be one of Munford’s, Glaze’s and Peat’s last opportunities to make an impression on the coaching staff before the start of the regular season. In other words, there should be plenty of eyeballs on those three as they fight for positioning on the Raiders’ depth chart and 53-man roster, and a strong performance could be the difference between starting and riding the bench.