A year ago, Jackson Powers-Johnson was looking for answers. Now, he’s lining up as the Raiders’ right guard and sounding like a player who finally knows exactly where he stands.
That’s the clearest sign yet that Las Vegas’ offensive line has turned a corner under its new coaching staff. Powers-Johnson will open the season in Week 1 against the Miami Dolphins, and while head coach Klint Kubiak has made it clear Caleb Rogers is still in the mix after a tight camp battle, Powers-Johnson has the job for now - and will have to hold it with his play.
The difference from last year is hard to miss. Powers-Johnson said he was confused by how he was handled in the previous regime, suggesting he wasn’t getting the kind of feedback he needed from coaches about what he had to do to secure his role. This offseason, the message has been much cleaner.
Speaking to reporters in the locker room on the way to the season opener, Powers-Johnson was asked about the biggest improvement the Raiders’ offensive line made this offseason.
"I think technique, and just having more cohesion and just being all on the same page."
He was asked again about the culture being different in Las Vegas, and he didn’t hesitate.
"I think we just come here every day trying to get better, and the main focus is football. It's not anything else, it's not all the other things. All it is is getting better at football and being the most connected team."
That’s a sharp contrast to last offseason, when the Raiders shuffled multiple interior linemen around during OTAs and training camp. Sometimes that kind of movement is part of the search for the best five. But when a player is asked to handle a spot he’d never played, like Jordan Meredith, or shifted away from what had been his best position, like Dylan Parham, the results were predictable.
They were ugly, too. Geno Smith was sacked 55 times, tied for the most in the NFL, and Ashton Jeanty couldn’t find holes.
Now the approach looks much more settled. Rick Dennison, who is regarded as one of the better offensive line coaches in the league, has already cleaned up a lot of what Brennan Carroll did wrong in teaching technique. The group also looked more connected in the preseason, which lines up with what Powers-Johnson described.
Just as important, there’s a sense the players know where they stand. No more random position experiments.
No more guessing. Kubiak has been public about the standard, and inside the building it has to be even more obvious.
Powers-Johnson, more than anyone else, captures how much can change in one year. In a short answer that didn’t try to say too much, he ended up saying plenty.
In Other News...
Raiders Face An Early Brock Bowers Problem They Can't Ignore
Brock Bowers wont be available when the Raiders open the season against the Dolphins, and that puts an immediate spotlight on how Las Vegas plans to move forward without one of its most important young playmakers. Head coach Klint Kubiak confirmed the tight end has been ruled out after undergoing a meniscus trim surgery on his knee, a development that leaves the team to adjust its Week 1 plans before the games even start.
The bigger concern for the Raiders is that no specific return timeline has been set, which makes Bowers absence feel less like a short detour and more like the start of a cautious waiting game. Given the teams awareness of his previous knee issues, this is clearly a situation Las Vegas is handling carefully, but it also means the offense has to be ready for an early stretch without the player it was built to feature. [Read more 🡒]
Raiders Week 1 Inactives Include One Surprise Fans Didnt See Coming
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For a team sorting through roster decisions and health questions in the opening week, the inactive list offered an early look at how the Raiders want to shape the sideline mix against Miami. Some of the names were expected because of injury or recent acquisition status, but Lindenbergs designation stood out as the one fans probably did not have circled when the day began. [Read more 🡒]
Raiders Face One Big Maxx Crosby Question Before The Deadline
The trade chatter around Maxx Crosby has only grown louder as the November 10 deadline nears, and it all starts with how close the Raiders came to dealing their star edge rusher in the first place. The Ravens backed out of a trade agreement after Crosby failed a physical, which instantly reset the market and sent other contenders back to the table. The Rams were among the most aggressive teams to circle back, but Crosby made it clear he wants to stay in Las Vegas.
Even with that stance, the phone lines are not likely to go quiet. The Eagles, Cowboys and 49ers have all shown interest, and Dallas has emerged as the club that could make the strongest push if it decides to act before the deadline. For the Raiders, the question is no longer whether Crosby has value. It is how long they can hold onto one of the leagues most coveted pass rushers while the rest of the market keeps probing. [Read more 🡒]