The Raiders have taken a few unconventional approaches with players in recent weeks and the “compete” mantra that was so popular in the offseason and training camp, has seemingly not applied to everyone over the first seven weeks of the season.
While Jackson Powers-Johnson has spent most of the last two months scrapping for a job on an inferior offensive line, Geno Smith has been one of the biggest disappointments on the team without any talk from the coaching staff of sending the veteran quarterback to the bench.
Another player that has held onto his job despite a difficult season is Kyu Blu Kelly, who has given up more receiving yards than any cornerback in the league, according to Pro Football Focus analytics.
And unlike the situation at quarterback, the Raiders have a third-round pick challenging for playing time at cornerback.
Darien Porter was one of the most intriguing picks in this year’s draft and in 112 defensive snaps, he has managed the highest grade of any cornerback on the Raiders’ roster this year. But even as Blu Kelly has been struggling, Porter logged only 13 snaps on Sunday (all as the Chiefs were running out the clock) and zero snaps the week before.
It will be interesting to see what the coaching staff does with Blu Kelly after the bye because the 2025 season is essentially over in terms of postseason aspirations.
Not only should Porter get more playing time, but it would also benefit the Raiders in the long term to give their young offensive linemen an opportunity in the second half of the season.
For that matter, why not take a look at rookie quarterback Cam Miller in a few regular season situations?
In August, the Las Vegas Review-Journal’s Vinny Bonsignore said Miller made a strong impression on the coaching staff and if nothing else, Geno Smith has taught the rookie what not to do over the first seven weeks of the season.
“I was talking to somebody in the organization [who said] it feels like [Miller] has grown in dog years the last couple of weeks, just in terms of he looks different than he did just three weeks ago,” Bonsignore said on the Vegas Nation First and 10 Podcast. “So, that’s something to keep an eye on.”
Based on the way the first two months of the season have played out, the time to “keep an eye” on Miller ought to be much sooner than later.
x: @raidersbeat
Get Cam in there!
Change the offensive coordinator and play-caller, where are not in college (or high-school) to play “shotgun” every down. O defense we need a veteran cornerback and a rookie corner Porter AND O’Connell wiill be back
Every coach on the Raiders staff should be fired and then the people who hired these coaches should be fired and then Mark Davis should sell the team.
The brass didn’t think that much of Miller otherwise they would not have exposed him to the waiver wire before they signed him to the practice squad. For a team that had the 6th pick in the draft, this draft was underwhelming. Besides Jeanty all the other picks are basically projects. A good GM would be getting significant contributions from players drafted in rds 1-4, especially a team lacking talent like the Raiders.
Completely agree that the draft was underwhelming to say the least. Should’ve traded back from 6. This team wasn’t ready for a small, FBS RB that can seem to only shake LBs or DBs. The vision has been poor and pass protect nonexistent. #6 was overdrafted as was pretty much every Raider pick. The entire off-season and reg season has been nothing more than a disaster.