Klint Kubiak hasn’t been shy about turning the Raiders’ offensive line over and over again in search of something that works, and now Las Vegas may be headed toward another reset that feels different from the last two.
The latest name in the mix is rookie Trey Zuhn III, who appears to be getting a real look at right guard before Week 8. On Wednesday, after Kubiak had already said two days earlier that Zuhn III and Bryce Cabeldue would be considered for guard reps moving forward, Levi Edwards of Raiders.com reported in a now-deleted social media post that Zuhn III was taking first-team reps at the spot.
That lines up with the way Kubiak has talked about the young lineman. He’s been willing to move pieces around all year, first challenging Jackson Powers-Johnson with Caleb Rogers at right guard, then replacing Powers-Johnson with Rogers when the results still didn’t improve. But even with that change, the line hasn’t found steady footing, and now the Raiders are at least trying a different body at the position.
Zuhn III spoke like a player who knows the door has opened a little wider.
"Super confident," Zuhn III said. "The team believes that I can get those reps there, so I'm gonna take those reps and be confident.
I know I can do it. ... I'm prepared to go help the team win on Sundays."
It’s a notable development because Zuhn III has barely worked at guard in game action. He was announced as a guard on draft night and did get some practice reps there, but in the preseason he lined up at center and right tackle. During the regular season, his only snaps have come in jumbo packages.
Still, Kubiak clearly trusts what he’s seen from him since he arrived.
“I’ve seen a guy who, since the day he got here, has been a Swiss Army knife. He can play so many positions.
He’s a very intelligent, hardworking player who’s still ascending and still getting better, and he’ll have his chance. ... He can do a lot.
You’ve got to focus in on a few [positions], but he can do it all. He can play tackle, he can play guard, he can play center.
He might be able to play quarterback, I don’t know, I haven’t let him try yet.”
The versatility has also stood out to Kirk Cousins.
"We’ve moved him around quite a bit. Part of the reason you move a guy around is because you feel like he can handle it.
He’s high capacity. You can make it harder on a guy when you ask him to move around a lot, but it’s also a sign of respect.
You do it because you trust him and you say, ‘We’re going to put more on your plate, but we feel like you can handle it.’ He’s done a nice job, worked hard, does whatever he’s asked, and when you do that, your role can keep growing.”
The move makes sense on paper because the Raiders have run out of patience with the current options. Powers-Johnson and Rogers have both struggled, and Zuhn III at least brings a different profile to the spot. He’s athletic, he’s already spent months inside the Raiders’ blocking system, and he’s had 21 offensive snaps over the last six weeks to start getting used to the speed of the league.
Las Vegas has been using him in gap, inside zone and outside zone concepts, so the playbook shouldn’t be a foreign language at this point. The staff also believes the mental side is in good shape, based on what his coaches and teammates have said about his intelligence and work habits.
That matters because if Zuhn III does get the nod Sunday against the New York Jets at MetLife Stadium, he’d be stepping into a starting role at a position he hasn’t really played before. There will be mistakes.
That comes with the territory. But the Raiders are clearly looking for a spark, and at this point they may be willing to live with some growing pains if it means finding a better answer.
The backdrop is ugly enough to justify the gamble. Las Vegas enters with the worst rushing attack in the league, and the interior line has been a major part of the problem, getting blown up and missing assignments. Pass protection has been steadier overall, but it has also become streaky lately, especially from the center and guard spots.
So while nothing is official until the offense takes the field, the signs are pointing in one direction. The Raiders are at least entertaining Zuhn III at right guard, and after everything they’ve tried up front, this is the latest shakeup they hope might finally stick.
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