Raiders HC Klint Kubiak reveals where his head is with the right guard position battle, and it’s not what either player wants to hear
Las Vegas Raiders head coach Klint Kubiak talked about the right guard battle between Caleb Rogers and Jackson Powers-Johnson.
These players are competitors. They compete even with each other on their own team. So, when the Las Vegas Raiders‘ two right guards battling for a starting position heard Klint Kubiak say what he said, they had to be upset.
“We’ve got more decisions to make, and Jackson and Caleb have had a great battle. Both of those guys are gonna play this year,” Kubiak told reporters on Friday when asked about the battle between Caleb Rogers and Jackson Powers-Johnson.
The Raiders have held battles all across their roster during this offseason. Training camp and preseason games showed that the closest battle is at right guard. On one hand, you have JPJ, a former second-round pick who has the talent and potential to be one of the best in the league. But he lacks consistency and is always injured.
On the other hand, you have Rogers. He is a former third-round pick. But he’s still not gotten a true chance to prove himself. Regardless, Kubiak saying both will play this season is likely not what they want to hear. They are competitors, so they don’t want to hear the coach say both will play. But both are capable of being starters, and that’s not a bad position to be in.
Who seems to be leading the race for the Raiders’ starting right guard spot?
Right now, it seems as close as ever. It feels like they are neck and neck. Part of that is because JPJ missed time during training camp due to injury. Part of it is because Rogers has been consistent. But if I had to say who is leading the charge, it’s JPJ. Now, that could be very wrong. I’m not in those meetings with the players and coaches. However, based on what we have seen during camp and how the Raiders are distributing the two players’ snaps, it feels like it’s JPJ to start the year.
Now, Rogers could be a guy we see come in early on, for a few reasons. If he’s not immediately named the starter, we could see Rogers come in anytime the offensive line looks to be struggling. Or, if JPJ or Spencer Burford get hurt/play badly, Rogers could be the next man up. They would even likely put him in at left guard before they put Zuhn in, strictly because of the experience. Regardless, the Raiders have options, and that’s not a bad thing.
