Jackson Powers-Johnson and the Raiders’ coaching staff have not gotten off to a great start to the season, and whatever “disconnect” exists between Powers-Johnson and the coaches, it led to a report this week that the team is entertaining trade offers for their 2024 second-second pick.
“Jackson Powers-Johnson has drawn [trade] interest,” Sports Illustrated insider Albert Breer reported on Friday, adding that Powers-Johnson “has had his fits and starts with the new staff, so there’s a possibility he’ll get moved.”
There has not been a lot of information on how Powers-Johnson managed to find the doghouse with Pete Carroll’s coaching staff, but former Raiders’ offensive lineman Lincoln Kennedy offered the second-year interior lineman a piece of advice on his Friday podcast.
“JPJ needs to be on the field,” Kennedy said on the Locked on Raiders Squad Show podcast.
“He needs to be out there. And if you’re JPJ and you’re listening to this, ‘Don’t hurt your team. Do what you need to do, but don’t hurt your team. There are things that we can do as offense linemen, and trust me when I tell you this, because I’ve been there, between whistles… there’s a small, small window that you can do whatever you can do between whistles. Be mindful of that.”
“And I will tell you this,” Kennedy continued. “There are times when you have to stand up as a man, make yourself accountable to the decisions that you made before… and where you are. But to be a part of a team means that you have to focus on what is the greater part of the team. And trust me when I tell you this, I have had many times in my career, I would look at a guy on the field and say ‘I want to rip your head off.'”
“But I can’t do that because of whistles, because of whistles… JPJ needs to be mindful of that. If I’m not out there on the field, I do nobody any good. I need to be on the field. I need to play within the rules that are within me… I need to play within the whistles.”
Going back to training camp, Sports Illustrated insider Hondo Carpenter weighed in on what was going on with Powers-Johnson at the time, and it sounded like the coaching staff wanted more discipline and attention to detail from him.
“Watching the way they’re handling Jackson Powers-Johnson, they want more out of him, and they’re trying a lot of different angles, trying a lot of different things,” Carpenter said on the Las Vegas Raiders Insider podcast in August.
“Somebody asked me, ‘Do you think they’re just trying to manipulate him, to motivate him? I really don’t think that’s it, because he is motivated,” Carpenter continued.
“He doesn’t have to be manipulated. I think they literally just, what you see is what you get. They want more out of him, and they keep talking about Jordan Meredith’s execution at center, and they love Jordan Meredith, and I think they’re looking for him… they want him to be technically sound. Let’s just leave it there. And clearly that’s what they want. They think that he can be more technically sound.”
For now, Powers-Johnson is the Raiders’ starting right guard, but veteran Alex Cappa, who has a history with Tom Brady and GM John Spytek, seems to be a bad play or two from re-emerging as a starter.
Kennedy talked about that dynamic earlier in the week, and he doesn’t want to see any more of Cappa in the lineup ahead of Powers-Johnson.
“[Jackson Powers-Johnson] is your next best lineman and we’re already talking about offensive line play as porous as it’s been. I feel for the young man, because this second-year guy went up against two All Pro defensive tackles back-to-back weeks, and the offense did not give him any help,” Kennedy said.
“They did not address the situation that you had All Pros at defensive tackle. Hey, let’s help out our young guard by doing some things differently. Some tandem blocks, try to put it on those defensive tackles. I don’t know what’s going on in the locker room with JPJ. I really don’t. But you cannot get rid of him. He is going to be the main stay, the main focal point for you, the future of this offensive line on this Raider team and you have to build around that,” Kennedy continued.
“But he also has to be on the field. So whatever JPJ is doing to keep himself off the field or whatever, he’s getting into in the locker room, whatever is happening needs to be ironed out and fixed because Alex Cappa is not the answer. So stop bringing him in games. I don’t know what’s going on, but they got to stop bringing him in games. He’s not the answer. You need to figure out what’s going out with your second-best offensive line and keep him keep him happy.”
x: @raidersbeat
It seems to me it’s the HC’s son who has the problem with him. Pete won’t go against hi son
Has to be the coaching, there didn’t seem to be a problem with him last year. The difference from this year and last is the coaching and the qb and they both are horrible.
Once he asked AP to move to Center he gave him the opportunity & JPJ was one of the top 1/2 centers in the NFL. Like I said, you’re gonna put him @ guard, fine, but play him & help out when needed.
Only Mark would be dumb enough to get rid of Telesco for an inexperienced GM in Tom Brady.
Don’t let JPJ GO…HE IS MORE OF A RAIDER THAN THE SORRY COACH & HIS SORRY SON!!! REAL TALK…
Pete Carrolls ego has gotten the better of him. Powers is not the problem and should be the starting center. Jacobi deserves a raise instead they paid Geno, a big bust. Pete refuses to fire his son instead letting Kelly take the hit. I believe the Browns would be willing to trade Sanders who is a better option than Geno.
Team Turmoil