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Klint Kubiak suggests offensive line changes could be coming for Raiders
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- Klint Kubiak suggests offensive line changes could be coming for Raiders
Sunday's rushing struggles gave Kubiak another reason to question his blocking up front. The Raiders managed only 38 yards on the ground, while Kirk Cousins faced steady pressure.
Monday, after looking over the film, Kubiak was asked if he would move linemen around or try players at new positions and he made it clear they will be looking at doing just that.
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"Yeah, we have to, we have to look at everything," Kubiak said. "We have to improve there, and something I've been saying for multiple weeks now. That's not getting done. So as a coaching staff, this falls on me, falls on me to get it fixed."
When an NFL coach says he has to look at everything on his offensive line, someone's job is usually on the line. For the Las Vegas Raiders , left guard Spencer Burford should be the first name on Klint Kubiak's list.
Spencer Burford is the weak link on Raiders OL
Burford signed on in Las vegas in March after 56 games with San Francisco. He was the Raiders first team left guard throughout the offseason according to Raiders Wire's Levi Damien. And was listed as the starting left guard during the Raiders week 1 depth chart . Five games in, that job should face some real competition.
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In an Oct. 7 Pro Football Focus update , Burford had allowed 13 pressures and carried a 45.5 pass-blocking grade, 60th among 74 qualifying guards. Then he went out in this game and allowed a team-high nine pressures and was given a pass-blocking grade of 0.0 by PFF.
Caleb Rogers at left guard is the first move to try
The best alternative on the roster could be Caleb Rogers. A third-round pick in 2025, Rogers started six games at right guard as a rookie. NFL Next Gen Stats credited him with a 7.7% quarterback pressure rate allowed, the second-lowest mark among Raiders linemen last season.
After a camp battle, Rogers lost out to Jackson Powers-Johnson for starting right guard job. While Bryce Cabeldue (a September waiver claim from Seattle ) backs up Burford on the left. Moving Rogers to the left side of center Tyler Linderbaum would require an adjustment, but he did start twice at left guard in his final college season at Texas Tech. At least the Raiders have a reason to test it in practice.
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Rookie Trey Zuhn III is another option; he can move around the line as well. But asking him to make his first NFL start against the Buffalo Bills might be too much too soon. Rogers has handled regular-season snaps at guard.
The Bills game raises the stakes
Josh Allen and Buffalo are coming to Allegiant Stadium on Sunday. Kubiak can't promise a solution by changing one guard, but keeping the same arrangement without a serious challenge would be really difficult to explain. Rogers deserves that challenge this week. Then Kubiak can show what 'look at everything' actually means.
This article originally appeared on Raiders Wire: Klint Kubiak suggests offensive line changes could be coming for Raiders
